Japan: Court Rules in Favor of Woman Ex-Soldier in Landmark Case on Sexual Assault
Friday, December 22, 2023 11:10 AM

In a landmark decision, a Japanese court has ruled in favor of 24-year-old ex-soldier Rina Gonoi, who asked for charges of sexual assault to be brought against three male soldier colleagues who had attacked her in 2021. She was subjected to persistent harassment, as well as sexual assault, after enlisting, but her superiors failed to take any action. Following Gonoi's accusations going public, the defence ministry of Japan issued an apology, dismissed and punished other perpetrators of the assault, and carried out a survey on harassment in the military. 

Compiled from: Sakura Murakami, "Japanese ex-soldier wins battle for justice in landmark sexual assault case," Reuters, Dec. 13, 2023.