Current:Home > NewsJapanese boy-band production company sets up panel to compensate sexual assault victims-LoTradeCoin
Japanese boy-band production company sets up panel to compensate sexual assault victims
View Date:2024-12-23 16:04:51
TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese boys-band production company at the center of an unfolding sexual abuse scandal, Johnny & Associates, chose three former judges Wednesday to head its effort to compensate hundreds of victims.
The Tokyo-based agency also said it will not take its usual cut from its performers’ earnings for the next year “in an effort to win back public trust,” and all the money for shows and other appearances will go to the individuals.
The actions come after Johnny’s, as the company is known, acknowledged last week that Johnny Kitagawa, its late founder and former chief, had sexually assaulted at least several hundred teens and children over half a century.
A special online site will be set up for people who worked under Johnny’s so they can be financially compensated, the company said in a statement. Privacy will be protected, and the monetary amount will be worked out in direct talks with each person, it said.
Kitagawa died in 2019 and was never charged.
Julie Keiko Fujishima, his niece, stepped down as chief executive of Johnny’s last week and was replaced by Noriyuki Higashiyama, a Johnny’s star. Fujishima remains on the board and owns 100% of the unlisted company.
Japan has been shaken by the scope and systematic nature of the once-powerful Kitagawa’s acts, as more people come forward to say they were victimized.
Johnny’s also reiterated its promise to strengthen governance and appoint a compliance officer in the company.
“We recognize that the late Johnny Kitagawa carried out sexual assaults over a long period, and we apologize to the victims from the bottom of our hearts,” the company said. “We vow to carry out compensation and prevent a recurrence.”
Various Japanese companies, including beverage makers Asahi Group Holdings and Suntory Holdings, have announced they will no longer use Johnny’s stars in ads or promotions. Among the latest was Kao Corp., a chemical and cosmetics company, which cited “considerations for people’s various feelings” on Tuesday.
McDonald’s Japan has also said it will stop using Johnny’s stars in future deals, but past ads featuring them remained on its official site.
Japanese mainstream media have come under attack for remaining silent, despite tell-all books and a Japanese Supreme Court ruling in 2004 in favor of the weekly Shukan Bunshun, which Kitagawa had sued for libel.
Public broadcaster NHK did a special program this week asking producers at that time why they did not cover the story. They said they had hesitated because Kitagawa had not been arrested. One person acknowledged he had “chosen bread over the pen,” meaning he had chosen money over journalistic integrity. Johnny’s stars are extremely popular, leading to sponsorship revenue and hit TV shows.
A group of nine victims set up this year is demanding an apology and compensation. They went to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations on Monday to ask for its backing. They have also gone to Parliament.
The U.N. Working Group on Business and Human Rights has urged the Japanese government to support the compensation efforts. Its investigation, as well as the company’s own probe, found Kitagawa routinely molested children, mostly at his luxurious home, after they auditioned as backup dancers or took lessons. One victim said he was raped 200 times.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Human head washes ashore on Florida beach, police investigating: reports
- Maryland lawmakers to wrestle with budgeting, public safety, housing as session opens
- Olympic skater under investigation for alleged sexual assault missing Canadian nationals
- Adan Canto, 'Designated Survivor' and 'X-Men' star, dies at 42 after cancer battle
- Prayers and cheeseburgers? Chiefs have unlikely fuel for inexplicable run
- As the Senate tries to strike a border deal with Mayorkas, House GOP launches effort to impeach him
- Florida deputy delivers Chick-fil-A order after DoorDash driver arrested on DUI charges
- This Avengers Alum Is Joining The White Lotus Season 3
- After entire police force resigns in small Oklahoma town, chief blames leaders, budget cuts
- All the movies you'll want to see in 2024, from 'Mean Girls' to a new 'Beverly Hills Cop'
Ranking
- Ryan Reynolds Clarifies Taylor Swift’s Role as Godmother to His Kids With Blake Lively
- Mahomes, Stafford, Flacco: Who are the best QBs in this playoff field? Ranking all 14
- Girl Scout Cookies now on sale for 2024: Here's which types are available, how to buy them
- A teen on the Alaska Airlines flight had his shirt ripped off when the door plug blew. A stranger tried to help calm him down.
- Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 13 drawing: Jackpot rises to $113 million
- In Falcons' coaching search, it's time to break the model. A major move is needed.
- U.S. cut climate pollution in 2023, but not fast enough to limit global warming
- Barry Keoghan reveals he battled flesh-eating disease: 'I'm not gonna die, right?'
Recommendation
-
Volkswagen, Mazda, Honda, BMW, Porsche among 304k vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
-
Melania Trump’s Mom Amalija Knavs Dead at 78
-
A teen on the Alaska Airlines flight had his shirt ripped off when the door plug blew. A stranger tried to help calm him down.
-
'Holding our breath': Philadelphia officials respond to measles outbreak from day care
-
Tom Brady Shares How He's Preparing for Son Jack to Be a Stud
-
Jimmy John's Kickin' Ranch is leaving. Here's how you can get a bottle of it for 1 cent.
-
A dinghy carrying migrants hit rocks in Greece, killing 2 people in high winds
-
Migrant families begin leaving NYC hotels as first eviction notices kick in