Ex-Japan soldier settles with 3 sexual assault attackers after landmark case
By Carl Samson
Rina Gonoi, a former soldier sexually assaulted while serving in Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, reached a civil settlement with three of her convicted attackers. The settlement includes apologies and an undisclosed monetary compensation for the abuse she endured between late 2020 and August 2021.
- Guilty verdicts: The Fukushima District Court found Shutaro Shibuya, Akito Sekine and Yusuke Kimezawa guilty of sexually assaulting Gonoi in December 2023. They were sentenced to two years in prison with suspended sentences for four years.
- What’s next: Gonoi’s decision to go public is seen as a desperate but necessary step in Japan, where sexual assault victims often face stigma and reluctance to come forward. Her case has inspired over 1,400 others to report similar incidents within the JSDF. The trial against the government and other former colleagues involved in Gonoi’s abuse will continue.
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