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Round a few weeks in the past, the BBC previewed their follow-up documentary to their authentic that lastly managed to topple no less than the legacy of Johnny Kitagawa via shining a lightweight on his huge sexual abuse scandal. They lately launched The Shadow of a Predator, once more with Mobeen Azhar, and this time with SMILE-UP‘s Higashiyama Noriyuki additionally concerned, and part of that follow-up is the prolonged interview with him.
I don’t anticipate a lot from Japanese corporations and/or executives relating to coping with ethical points like this, however he actually doesn’t assist himself or SMILE-UP right here.
The query of whether or not Higashiyama has any formal background in social work or counseling, and whether or not he was one of the best individual to deal with it was excellent, as a result of Higashiyama later confirmed he positively didn’t by being unable to easily disavow on-line abuse of survivors (citing freedom of speech) and being unable to reply considerations that the corporate is part of contributing to the narrative that these coming ahead are mendacity (thus giving additional leeway for harassment of different victims). The reveal that that they had the reporter sit in with victims who stated there have been victims mendacity previous to the interview was one thing I wasn’t anticipating.
Like that’s impressively dangerous, particularly when identified victims are on the market mainly begging individuals to not harass them.
⛔️JK
Hashida Yasushi, one of many survivors who spoke up about Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual abuse, posted a plea for netizens to cease their on-line abuse.
“… please don’t vent these feelings on us together with your phrases, however take into account how we’re precise people too.” pic.twitter.com/NiVHVbrejF
— Transitions⛈️🌈 We 40! (@transitions0101) March 30, 2024
Anyway, I assumed Azhar did an incredible job of urgent Higashiyama on how they decide any person who comes ahead is mendacity, how not working on the firm could possibly be irrelevant to them telling the reality resulting from Johnny’s intensive scouting, what they’re doing to encourage victims to return ahead, what they’re doing to forestall it from occurring once more, and whether or not Julie Fujishima nonetheless has a task and/or income from the corporate.
Moreover, issues like asking concerning the timeline of data of his abuses was fascinating, as Higashiyama had a particularly tough time answering the query of, “Why don’t you assume these conversations weren’t occurring?” in reference to the reckoning not occurring internally when he was nonetheless alive both after the allegations first surfaced or when he misplaced the court docket case to Shukan Bunshun.
Whereas I’m glad he agreed to the interview, if the intent was to clear the air, put the general public comfortable that issues have been being finished appropriate, and maybe reduce worldwide scrutiny, then it failed, as a result of the blended messaging gave me the impression that the first objective continues to be only for the entire course of to occur in silence with as little scrutiny as attainable and hoping they will transfer on rapidly.
——
Sadly, I’ve not been capable of watch the precise follow-up to date*, however primarily based on the reactions to date it looks as if considerably of a abstract of all the pieces that has transpired since. Nonetheless, it did reveal that two others have been concerned within the sexual abuse, and whereas SMILE-UP say it was talked about within the report again in August, many (together with me) weren’t conscious. Moreover, the extent of their punishment was apparently a reprimand.
*Let me know if you already know the place I can.
Smile-Up stated the truth that different staff have been concerned in sexually abusing performers had already been included in an August report compiled by a third-party panel, and that it has shared data on what it is aware of concerning the two people with the investigation workforce.
Smile-Up had already reprimanded the 2 final September in compliance with related laws and firm laws, it stated, although it declined to supply extra particulars on the 2 to guard the privateness of these concerned.
To be honest, I do agree that it’s tough for them to go ahead legally with out the consent of victims. As a result of sure, the corporate can hypothetically again them, however until they’re keen to offer testimony, any authorized case is prone to go nowhere. That stated, given the interview, it’s exhausting to imagine the corporate is precisely doing all the pieces of their energy to assist.
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