A member of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force filed a lawsuit against the government Monday for allegedly failing to bring disciplinary action against a male colleague’s verbal sexual harassment despite repeated complaints and lawsuits over the years.
According to the plaintiff’s lawyers, the verbal sexual abuse began in 2010 after the plaintiff was assigned to the Naha air base in Okinawa. During this time, a male colleague allegedly made frequent comments about her body and publicly inquired about her sex life.
Other female air force members had also experienced similar verbal sexual harassment from the same colleague, but they did not make any formal complaints in fear of retaliation, according to the plaintiff’s lawyers.
The lawyers also added that the plaintiff suffered significant setbacks in her career following her complaints to supervisors and a Self-Defense Force sexual harassment consultation department.
Although the plaintiff’s complaints led to the implementation of awareness training, she claims that the government did not hold the colleague responsible for his actions and that she instead suffered from retaliation for years after speaking out — which eventually manifested into stress and insomnia.
In 2016, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the male colleague at Naha District Court.
The court acknowledged that sexual harassment had taken place, but dismissed the case after a year, saying the case falls under the government’s responsibility and that an individual public servant could not be held responsible. This decision was later maintained by a higher court.
Subsequent efforts to file a criminal complaint with the military police in 2019 were also unsuccessful, the plaintiff’s lawyers said.
The plaintiff is now seeking roughly 11.7 million yen (approximately $86,000) in damages from the government.
Daisuke Tabuchi, one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, said that the government’s failure to take proper measures to prevent…
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