She won her sexual assault case. Now she hopes the Japanese military changes so others don’t suffer

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — A former soldier who won a sexual assault case against three of her former colleagues says she hopes Japan’s Self Defense Force makes it easier for others to speak up. Rina Gonoi came forward in 2022, demanding a reinvestigation of the case authorities had dropped months earlier. In September that year, the Ground Self Defense Force partially acknowledged the misconduct and apologized, then fired five soldiers and punished four others. Gonoi has faced backlash on social media for coming forward. She says she hopes the workplace she admired but had to leave will be reborn as a place where everyone can easily speak up against harassment. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said he is determined to allow zero tolerance for harassment in the military.