19-9-2023 (TOKYO) The Japanese government is set to create a dedicated hotline for male victims of sexual abuse, announced a minister on Tuesday (Sept 19), in response to an abuse scandal involving the country’s largest boyband agency.
This hotline will be operational for a three-month period, beginning on Friday, and will be staffed by specialists who will provide counseling services, as confirmed by the Cabinet Office.
Ayuko Kato, the minister responsible for children-related policy, expressed the hope that this initiative would encourage victims to come forward and seek help without hesitation.
This development follows revelations by the boyband conglomerate Johnny & Associates earlier this month, acknowledging for the first time that its founder, Johnny Kitagawa, had sexually assaulted young talents over several decades.
Johnny Kitagawa, who passed away at the age of 87 in 2019, played a pivotal role in the creation of J-pop mega-groups such as SMAP, TOKIO, and Arashi, amassing devoted fans across Asia.
Reports of Kitagawa’s abuse of young men aspiring to become stars first emerged in Japanese media back in 1999. However, it was only in the current year that these allegations sparked widespread introspection, spurred by a BBC documentary and public testimonies from victims.
The Japanese government has previously operated a 24-hour hotline catering to both male and female victims of sexual abuse. However, a Cabinet Office official informed AFP that there were concerns that men might be hesitant to utilize the service.
The establishment of this new hotline is part of the government’s “emergency plan” to combat child sexual abuse.
