The wall surrounding compensation and "bailout" that has begun to move... Those who suffer deeplyDecember 12, 4:17

"The most stupid case in human history" and "We need relief and compensation beyond the law."
In September, the former Johnny's office admitted to sexual assault by Mr. Johnny Kitagawa and apologized = "SMILE-UP." These are the words of President Noriyuki Higashiyama at the press conference.
In just over two months, more than 9 people have reported damages, and compensation payments to those who reported damage began at the end of last month. However, there are those who have suffered even more after reporting the damage.
(Johnny's Sexual Abuse Problem Reporting Team)

* This article touches on the details of the damage in order to widely convey the actual situation of sexual violence victims. Please be aware if you have symptoms such as flashbacks.

If you send your resume... I received a call from Mr. Johnny Kitagawa

A 55-year-old man.

In September, at a press conference held by the former Johnny's office, President Higashiyama's words "being close to the victims" left a strong impression on me, and I began to face the damage of 9 years ago.

A man who has belonged to a theater company since he was a junior high school student and has appeared in a movie that Mr. Johnny worked on.

In 1987, when he was 18 years old, he sent his resume to the office.

After a while, Mr. Johnny himself received a direct call from his home where the store was attached.

"At that time, we were running a store, and an employee picked up the phone, and I remember being in a lot of trouble because I was going to join Johnny's."

On that day, a man was invited to come to the studio where he was recording a TV singing program, and hurriedly headed to the scene.

He was also introduced to two talents who were already active, and they went to the "training camp" together, and on the night they decided to stay, he was sexually victimized.

A man who claims to have been sexually assaulted when he was 18 years old said
: "When I woke up in the middle of the night with a feeling of discomfort in the center of my body, I wondered what it was, and I tried to twist my body to resist, but it didn't stop, it was disgusting, I was angry and I wanted to go home as soon as possible, and I thought I had come to the wrong place."

The next morning, he returned from the training camp as if he were running away, and since then, he has lived without any involvement with Mr. Johnny or the office.

In September, the former Johnny's office admitted to sexual assault by Mr. Johnny and apologized.

We have established a "Victim Relief Committee" and have set up a contact point on the web to accept reports of sexual abuse.

For a long time, the man who thought he would never be recognized said that he felt that "something amazing had happened."

When a close acquaintance who had confided in him in the past asked him, "What are you going to do?" and "Don't you regret it?" I was contacted and decided to declare that I did not want to pretend that the damage did not happen.

Mr. Johnny's car that he rode at the time, the layout of the training camp, and the contents of the trouble of the talent that belonged that day when Mr. Johnny and the people in the office were talking on the phone.

Following the thread of memory that I had been trying to forget, I entered the details of the damage in the form.

What is the process of compensation and judgment for victims?

It is the "Victim Relief Committee" that receives a report from the person complaining of damage on a special form and makes a decision on compensation.

It is made up of three lawyers who are former judges, and it is said that

it is an independent agency from "SMILE-UP."

After that, after hearing with the victim, the damage will be certified and the amount of compensation will be determined.

In the email I received from the Relief Committee...

A man who unintentionally reported the damage.

However, about a month later, I received an email from the Relief Committee that was not what I expected.

If it could not be confirmed that he was enrolled in the office, the office would communicate directly with him, not the relief committee.

The man was upset, but he contacted the person in charge of the office and explained the circumstances of the damage over the phone, and was told to wait for a while.

After that, he tried to contact him several times, but about a month and a half later, the situation has not changed, and as the waiting time has increased, he feels physically and mentally unwell, and it has become difficult to work.

A man who claims to have been victimized when he was 18 years old said
: "This is the first thing that comes to mind when I wake up in the morning, until I go to bed. As I waited for the call to be heard, I kept thinking about remembering something more, and I remembered the misery, pain, and physical problems I felt when I walked back to the station the day after the attack. It's a living hell to just have to wait."

"I don't think you can believe me..." Some people are hesitant to go through the procedure

Some people are reluctant to have to communicate directly with the perpetrator's office to confirm their enrollment.

Another man in his 50s reported the incident to the relief committee and was told they were unable to confirm his enrollment.

When I was in my first year of high school, a friend invited me to send my resume to the office, and I received a phone call from Mr. Johnny at home, asking me to come to a TV station in Roppongi, Tokyo.

After observing the recording of the singing program, he was taken to a training camp and was victimized.

A man who
complained that he was a victim in his first year of high school: "I didn't want to feel that my body was dirty that day, so I washed my body all the time.

Since the attack, she has lost more than 10 kilograms and felt that her personality has changed.

A man
who claimed to have been victimized in his first year of high school: "I started distancing myself from my friends so that I didn't have to talk about myself. If I didn't choose that kind of work, I wouldn't be able to have a social life within myself."

However, now that I have been told that I cannot confirm my enrollment, I am very worried that they will not believe that I have been victimized, and I am very worried about contacting the office, so I am unable to proceed with the procedure.

A man who complained that he was a victim in his first year of high school said
, "I think that if the resume I sent was still there, it would be evidence, but I don't think it was left because it was 1 years ago. If you can confirm your enrollment, there will be damage, and if you can't, it doesn't mean that there will be no damage, so I would like you to listen to everyone and make a decision first. As long as you say that you are sympathetic to the feelings of the victims, I want you to respond in a humane manner."

"Management of sloppy boys" pointed out in the investigation report

Among those who complain of damage, there are gradations in their activities and involvements, such as those who appeared on TV or magazines as juniors, those who attended lessons but had never performed, those who only participated in auditions, and those who were called based on resumes sent to the office.

In the investigation report of the special team that responded to the sexual assault problem, it was pointed out that one of the factors for the spread of damage was that "it was a sloppy management system that did not even know who was a junior in the first place."

At a press conference at his office in October, he said, "There was a time when juniors were not comprehensively managed, and we will never shift the burden of proof to the victims so that we can compensate as widely as possible. All responsibility lies with Johnny's Office, "SMILE-UP." I would like to certify that there are no omissions in the relief on the premise that there is."

Sakon Kuramoto, a lawyer who is familiar with "Business and Human Rights" and has been consulted by people who have not been able to confirm their enrollment, questions the system in which victims cannot be connected to the relief committee unless they prove their own enrollment.

Sakon Kuramoto
: "It is not a proper process if the company conducts the important process of confirming enrollment without transparency. In the first place, there are some vague parts of childhood memories, and they can be damaged and suppress memories. Evoking memories and trying to remind parents can lead to secondary damage, and it is very difficult for victims to place the burden of proving sexual abuse in childhood. We need to be willing to prove ourselves without placing the blame on the victims."

In response to an interview with NHK, the office said, "For those who have not been confirmed to be enrolled in the former Johnny's office at this time, we will respond individually by requesting the submission of additional materials and cooperation in interviews from our company or our lawyers in the future."

"It's hard to keep a sense of normalcy" Some people are cornered

It has been more than two months since the window was opened in September, and the office said that as of the 9th of last month, 2 people had reported damages, and 20 people had been paid compensation by last month.

However, the time it takes to face one's own damage for relief is a heavy burden for the people concerned.

In mid-October, a former talent who had been complaining to the office since May of this year died. It is believed to be a suicide.

A letter written by the man to his family before his death * Excerpt
from the part that received approval from the bereaved family "I'm really sorry. I would have liked to have seen more of [the child's name] growing. At first, Johnny's problem brought back memories that I had forgotten until now, and at the same time I was angry, and at the same time, I felt that I needed as many voices as possible to eliminate this social evil, and I raised my voice in the hope that I, who had never done anything before, would be useful to society for the first time and that I could change the society to be a little easier to live in. However, the memories of those days that I couldn't remember recently came back more and more, and it became difficult to maintain a sense of normalcy. Even at work, I was told that my face was lifeless, and it was interfering. I'm really sorry for bothering you until the end."

Expert: "What is the ultimate goal?"

In the sexual assault issue by Mr. Johnny Kitagawa, the slander against the person who complained of damage has also become a serious problem, and many people have submitted damage reports to the police and consulted with them.

Sakura Uetani, a lawyer who is familiar with the issue of sexual assault, points out that it is important not only to provide financial compensation, but also to make the victim feel that they have been truly relieved.

Sakura Kamitani
said, "It is not enough to pay compensation quickly, and it does not mean that monetary compensation is sufficient. The ultimate goal is to recover from the trauma of sexual abuse. First of all, it is necessary to listen sincerely to the voices of the victims without denying them."

On top of that, it is necessary to think about society as well.

"This issue needs to be seen as an issue of sexual violence against children, not as a special event in the entertainment industry, and it is essential that the government and society consider a mechanism to prevent sexual victimization of children as well as remedy for victims, rather than ending with criticism of Johnny's Office."

If your heart is hard

Consultation desks such as SNS are introduced on the website of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and you can also search for "Mamoro Yokoro" on the Internet.

"Mamoroyo Kokoro"

Consultation services for people with anxiety and worries are introduced on the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
*You will leave the NHK website.

The main consultation service by phone is
▽ "Yorisoi Hotline" 0120-279-338
▽ "Unified Mental Health Consultation Dial" 0570-064-556

(Scheduled to be broadcast on December 12 on Close-up Gendai)