On 26 June 2024, Mr. Akimasa Nihongi, a former child victim of sexual assault by the talent agency CEO Johnny Kitagawa, gave an oral statement at the Human Rights Council in Geneva expressing the need for governments and companies in the entertainment industry, and the government of Japan and Smile-Up (the successor to Kitagawa’s agency) in particular, to take effective measures to protect children from assault and to protect victims coming forward from online slander and harassment.
A transcript of the oral statement follows the video below and is also available here in PDF format. The video comes from the UN video streaming site here, and Mr. Nihongi’s presentation begins at 26:09.
Following the oral statement, Mr. Nihongi participated in a press conference in Geneva, where he went into more detail about the challenges that victims of sexual assault face in Japan. A video of the press conference follows the transcript below.
Oral Statement Transcript
HRN welcomes the Working Group’s report on its mission to Japan, which highlights structures of inequality and discrimination of marginalized groups. We urge the government and businesses to fully implement its recommendations, including establishing mandatory human rights due diligence and a national human rights institution.
The report highlights sexual abuse prevailing in the media and entertainment industry.
I am a survivor of sexual abuse by Johnny Kitagawa speaking for all victims.
- We call on Japanese media to accurately report on sexual assault cases and not hide them from the public.
- We call on companies to not ignore victims and to favor perpetrators of assault because they prioritize profits.
- We call on Smile-Up to provide full relief to victims and take effective measures to ensure that abuses will never be repeated.
- Sadly victims that report their abuses are subject to constant slander and harassment. I have relocated to Ireland to protect my family, and at least one victim killed himself due to the distress of online harassment after coming forward. Measures must be taken to end the slander and harassment of victims.
We call on the Japanese government and businesses to take these and other needed measures to create a society where children are protected. Victims of sexual assault can no longer be ignored, harassed, and silenced.
Press Conference
Mr. Nihongi’s spoke at a press conference in Geneva following his oral statement. His presentation begins at 18:40 in the below video.