This Japanese Woman Soldier Sued Three Male Colleagues For Sexually Assaulting Her And Won
Rina Gonoi’s case is being seen as a victory for women’s rights in Japan, where speaking out against gender violence still remains a taboo.
In a landmark moment, this Japanese woman soldier sued 3 male colleagues for sexually assaulting her and won.
24-year-old Rina Gonoi said that she had wanted to join the army as a child after she saw troops helping victims of an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
But she said after she joined the military, she faced constant sexual harassment, with male colleagues sexually commenting on her body and breast size and even asking her to give them blow jobs.
Then in August 2021, three male colleagues pinned her to the bed, forcibly spread her legs open and rubbed their crotches against her sexually.
She said the incident happened in front of several other people, but no one intervened and some people even laughed.
Gonoi said she reported the incident to senior officers but they dismissed her over “lack of evidence”.
After no action was taken, Gonoi eventually decided to leave the military.
In 2022, she took the rare step to go public and share her story on YouTube, drawing attention worldwide and in Japan, where speaking out against gender violence still remains a taboo.
After her video went viral, Japan’s defense ministry issued an apology and said it had dismissed five men in connection to the assault.
It also pressured authorities to launch an official investigation into sexual violence in the military, which uncovered about 1,400 cases of sexual harassment and bullying, most of which had not been reported.
Gonoi then sued the three men, who were found guilty on Tuesday Dec. 12 and sentenced to two-year suspended prison sentences.
“The ruling today proves what they did was a crime – so I want them to face up to it and reflect on their actions. And I hope that this verdict will encourage victims to speak out,” Gonoi told the reporters.
Women’s rights activists have said that the ruling is a step forward after Japan finally raised the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16.
