Japan’s male expertise company Johnny & Associates Inc, mired in allegations of sexual abuse by its late founder, stated Friday that an exterior investigation group will even probe into alleged related abuses by a former male workers member after {a magazine} report of his sexual assaults.
In a widening scandal at considered one of Japan’s most influential leisure businesses, the group, initially tasked with investigating alleged circumstances involving the founder Johnny Kitagawa, will look right into a former agent who took cost of Johnny’s Jr, a expertise pool of male idols in coaching.
According to the report by the weekly journal Shukan Bunshun on Thursday, the previous agent had dedicated sexual acts towards a number of youngsters among the many male idols in coaching. He began working on the company from the early Nineteen Nineties, and his job included taking good care of Johnny’s Jr till round 2000, the journal stated.
The report comes after some former members of the company, resembling Kauan Okamoto, have come ahead, saying they had been sexually abused as youngsters by Kitagawa. The founder was probably the most highly effective figures in Japan’s leisure trade, propelling quite a few teams resembling SMAP, Arashi and Hey! Say! JUMP to stardom earlier than his dying in 2019. Okamoto was a part of Johnny’s Jr.
Johnny & Associates stated in May that it could arrange an exterior particular probe group to look into alleged sexual abuse by the founder and compile measures to stop the recurrence of comparable incidents. The company has stated that it’s going to take applicable measures based mostly on proposals by the group members resembling a former prosecutor basic, a psychiatrist and a training medical psychologist.
The allegations that Kitagawa sexually abused youngsters garnered consideration after the BBC aired a documentary in March that included interviews with alleged victims.
Okamoto and two different former members on Monday submitted a petition with almost 40,000 signatures to ruling and opposition events, asking for a revision to the nation’s baby abuse prevention legislation for stronger safety of minors.
The authorities plans to carry a ministerial assembly as early as subsequent week to handle sexual abuse allegations involving the company, a supply near the matter stated Wednesday.
© KYODO