'I didn't want to choose the option of fighting': Japan ex-soldier sues government over sex assault

Jan 31, 2023 | News On Japan

Jan 31, 2023 (news24.com) - A Japanese former soldier who was sexually assaulted by her colleagues said on Monday she is suing the government and the perpetrators over the "superficial" apologies and mistreatment she received.

Last year, Rina Gonoi went public about the assaults she was subjected to, after an investigation was dropped on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

The military subsequently acknowledged the assaults and harassment that occurred in 2021, but only after public pressure by Gonoi, including a petition signed by over 100 000 people demanding an investigation.

In December, five Japanese soldiers were dismissed over the case, but Gonoi said on Monday the apologies she has received were "superficial" and lawyers for the assailants continued to trivialise the incidents in discussions over a settlement.

"I didn't want to choose the option of fighting, but I have not received a message that reassures me they really regret" what they did, she told reporters. ...continue reading

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