Alleged Japanese rape victim recounts mental torment
The Straits Times
Before filing her case in 2024, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Read more at straitstimes.com.
TOKYO – A Japanese prosecutor who took the unusual step of publicly accusing her boss of rape said on March 2 her mental health had deteriorated in her quest for justice.
Very few women in Japan speak out about sexual assault but Hikari – not her real name – came forward in 2024 to accuse Osaka’s then top prosecutor of raping her six years earlier.
Kentaro Kitagawa, head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office, was arrested and admitted the assault but later withdrew his statement, saying the sex was consensual.
Since retired, he remains in custody awaiting trial.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on March 6 on condition that she is not named and her face is not shown, Hikari said the stress was difficult to bear.
“My doctor said that the longer I confront (the government) the more my mental state deteriorates, becoming life-threatening,” she said.
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