The prominent case that revealed a pervasive culture of harassment in the military led to the guilty conviction of three former soldiers for sexual assault on Tuesday, December 12, in a Japanese court.
Allegations of Sexual Assault
A 24-year-old former member of the Self-Defense Forces named Rina Gonoi is at the center of this case. Gonoi claims that three male coworkers pushed her down and performed a sex act on her in 2021.
The accused maintained their innocence, denying any involvement in sexual assault. The guys, whose ages ranged from 29 to 31, exhibited no emotion as the court delivered its ruling, which imposed a two-year suspended sentence on each of them, as reported by Reuters.
Speaking to reporters outside the district court in Fukushima, around 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Tokyo, Gonoi said, "I think it was good for Japan's society that the court handed down a guilty verdict and accepted the claims that I've made from the very beginning."
She added that the decision illustrates how it is not okay to do things for a laugh and that those actions are unlawful. When speaking, she was pausing mid-sentence to keep her calm.
For the claimed attack and the government's response after her complaints, Gonoi has now filed a civil lawsuit against her former colleagues and the government. She is demanding damages.
Former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force Rina Gonoi (L) speaks to the media at the Fukushima District Court on December 12, 2023.
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Bold Move to Speak Out
According to Gonoi, who joined in 2020 and experienced ongoing harassment, the three males assaulted her by pinning her to the ground, separating her legs, and simulating a sex act by pressing their crotches on her.
Upon realizing that her complaints had gone unanswered by her superiors, she made the decision to depart from the army.
Gogoi made headlines in 2022 after going public with her accusations, and the Japanese defense ministry issued an official apology.
The defense ministry also started a broad assessment of harassment in the military and other organizations associated with the military, which uncovered about 1400 complaints.
Gonoi's battle garnered her widespread acclaim. She was designated one of Time Magazine's 100 emerging world leaders and one of the 100 most influential women globally by the British Broadcasting Corp.
Domestically, however, Gonoi has also been the object of internet hate.
Chelsea Szendi Schieder, a professor of Japanese history at Tokyo's Aoyama Gakuin University, stated, "The hurdles are incredibly high in Japan to be able to come out publicly and that has to do with ... the kind of backlash a woman gets when she speaks out about these issues."
According to Schieder, the ruling is quite significant, and she expects that many Japanese organizations will reassess their internal procedures in light of it.
As Japan seeks to bolster its military in the face of rising threats from both China and North Korea, the timing of the cases could not be worse since it is actively recruiting female troops.
