Japan's army let a company commander ignore a soldier's sexual-assault report and log her exit as 'family reasons', and the state has now paid for breaching its duty of care.
Subject of this story
What happened
The Ministry of Defense's own findings of 15 December 2022 state that a Ground Self-Defense Force company commander, told in June 2021 that a female private might have been sexually harassed, did not adequately look into it; after she reported an August 2021 assault in which a sergeant first class ordered three soldiers to pin her down, he did not investigate at all and had her departure from duty recorded as due to family circumstances. Five soldiers were dismissed, the commander was suspended for six months, and his battalion and regiment commanders received only cautions. The ministry's August 2023 special defense inspection, prompted by the case, found that more than 60% of 1,414 complaints about mishandled harassment came from personnel who had avoided the official counsellors, many fearing how they would be treated afterwards. In a settlement at the Yokohama District Court on 26 January 2026 the state paid 1.6 million yen, of which 500,000 yen was for its breach of the duty of care.
Sources (4)
Response
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.