Japan Press Weekly

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2022 August 3 - 9 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Ex-female SDF member urges Defense Ministry to hire 3rd-party investigators to probe sexual violence within SDF

A former female member of the Ground Self-Defense Force on August 3 together with Japanese Communist Party parliamentarians visited the Defense Ministry to demand that the ministry hire third-party investigators to probe into the sexual violence which she experienced during training missions.

The woman, Gonoi Rina, in August 2021, experienced sexual violence from male SDF members during training missions. She reported her case to the SDF military police, but her case was dismissed. Regarding this decision, Gonoi filed a complaint with a citizens’ inquest panel. In addition, she launched an online signature campaign calling on the Defense Ministry to set up a third-party body for a fair investigation of her case.

At a press conference after the meeting with Defense Ministry officials, Gonoi said that the ministry officials rejected her demand for a third-party investigation on the grounds that reinvestigation by an internal organization is underway, and expressed doubt as to whether her case will be investigated in a thorough manner.

Furthermore, Gonoi pointed out, “Harassment prevention lectures held by the SDF and a harassment counseling center in the SDF are just for show.” She said that the SDF should not only improve the quality of its education on harassment and the counseling center’s functions, but also redress the lack of understanding of sexual harassment.