Mayor Kosae Nanjo’s Sexual Harassment Recognition “Resignation Alone Will Not Be Enough”.

A recording of him admitting to hugging was released to the public.

The Nanjo City Council in Okinawa Prefecture passed a no-confidence motion against Mayor Koza Kageharu, 70, who was found by a third-party committee to be a “sexually harassing mayor,” with a majority vote on September 26.

A no-confidence motion against Kosa had been submitted three times before, but each time it was rejected by the ruling party members. This time, however, the ruling party members submitted a no-confidence motion after a woman who claimed to be a victim was reportedly overheard by Kosa attempting to hush her up, and the motion was finally passed for the fourth time. Kosa would have to dissolve the assembly within 10 days or lose her job.

The recording was graphic.

The mayor said, “I hugged you. Did you tell this to the third-party committee?”

The woman said, “Oh, me?　No, I didn’t.”

Mayor: “You did hug me. The mayor said, “I did hug you, but people are saying, ‘I think you kissed her.

The mayor was recorded as admitting the hug, but this month she reversed her assertion and said, “I’m not sure if it was a kiss or not.

The mayor said, “When I first met him here, he hugged me and said, ‘It’s been a long time, Ms. Kosa,’ because that’s all I remember. Because I didn’t do anything else.”

The audio remains of him evading responsibility by saying that the woman gave him a hug. The female employee was forced to take a leave of absence due to such pressure from the mayor.

Non-Consensual Indecency

A woman who used to be Mayor Kosa’s chauffeur complained of sexual harassment, and after receiving a report from the woman, the police referred her to the mayor on suspicion of indecent assault in November of last year, but the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office dropped the case in February of this year due to insufficient suspicion. However, “innocent” is not the same as “not guilty. Even though the prosecution was dropped, it is questionable to say that there was no sexual harassment at all just because it was difficult to prove from the prosecutors’ point of view. This time, the council was moved by the fact that the woman also produced a recording, and the investigative authorities are also taking an interest in the case. Mayor Kosa may not be able to just resign. He is in a tight spot.

In another survey of city employees, there were nine responses reporting that they had been sexually harassed. It is said that touching and kissing may not end with the light term “sexual harassment.

This website therefore interviewed attorney Kenta Morimi of Morimi Law Office.

If, as the third-party committee reported, the mayor kissed the staff member without her consent or touched her thigh, there is a high possibility that it would be considered indecent assault under Article 176 of the Penal Code. Since this is not a criminal offense, prosecution may be filed even without a complaint from the person who has the right to file the complaint. However, the police may interview the mayor and possibly refer the case to the police for prosecution. If the mayor is prosecuted and convicted, he or she will be sentenced to a custodial sentence of not less than six months and not more than 10 years.

Recently, there have been frequent reports of “disorderly” behavior by local government leaders across the country. In some cases, citizens and others have filed criminal complaints. In this case, in which several women have complained of being victimized, we would like to pay attention to the actions of the investigative authorities in Okinawa.