The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Defense Ministry officials apologize to ex-GSDF member over sexual abuse
e Defense Ministry said ursday that multiple acts of sexual harassment against a former Ground Self-Defense Force servicewoman have been con rmed and o ered her an apology.
Rina Gonoi, 23, who had worked at a GSDF camp in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, alleged that she had been sexually harassed and assaulted by multiple male GSDF members.
e ministry has since launched a special investigation covering the entire Self-Defense Forces.
When Gonoi rst made the allegations in August 2021, the ministry interviewed about 100 GSDF members, mainly those at the camp in Fukushima Prefecture.
As of ursday, the ministry said it had con rmed sexual harassment cases at the unit to which Gonoi belonged and at training areas, among other places.
In August last year, Gonoi was sexually harassed in a training area. She was held down by a serviceman, who warned her against telling others about the incident.
e investigation also found that Gonoi discussed the incident with a commander for her unit, but the commander did not report it to a superior o cer or conduct an investigation into the allegations.
Sexual harassment of multiple female members has come to light since the investigation was launched.
Kazuhito Machida, the head of the ministry’s Personnel and Education Bureau,
and Fumio Fujioka, chief of the personnel education section of the Ground Sta O ce, provided Gonoi with updates on their investigation at a House of Representatives o ce building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on
ursday.
“We deeply and sincerely apologize for your pain and su ering,” Machida told Gonoi.
“It has been a long journey,” Gonoi said with tears in her eyes. “I ask you to drastically improve the situation so that this will never happen again.” (Oct. 1)