Japan military probe finds more than 100 sexual harassment cases

TOKYO, Dec 16 (CNA) - Japan's military on Thursday fired five servicemen and punished four others in a sexual assault case brought by a former soldier, prompting a rare investigation across the Defense Ministry that found more than 100 other complaints of harassment, officials said.

Rina Gonoi filed a sexual harassment case with the Defense Ministry last year, saying she had suffered multiple assaults by several male colleagues, causing her to give up her military career.

Of the five servicemen who were dismissed from the army, four had admitted their assaults and apologised to her in October. A fifth was found to be a mastermind of the four.

Additionally, the ministry punished four others. The then-commander of the company in Fukushima that Gonoi belonged to was suspended for six months for not carrying out proper investigation, while another one was reprimanded for verbal sexual harassment and two others were reprimanded for overlooking the problem.

In one incident in August 2021, the senior male colleagues pressed the lower part of their bodies against her in a dorm at a training ground, forcing her to spread her legs, as more than 10 other male colleagues watched and laughed, but none tried to stop them, Gonoi said. ...continue reading

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