The person conducting the inner investigation over the sexual abuse victims of Johnny Kitagawa has mentioned that he believes there have been two extra predators working on the expertise company.
Final March, a BBC documentary titled Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop uncovered an alleged historical past of sexual abuse by Johnny Kitagawa, arguably probably the most influential determine in Japan’s leisure business.
Kitagawa’s company held a near-monopoly on Japanese boy bands for many years, and as set out within the documentary, he confronted allegations of sexual misconduct whereas he was alive. Whereas some had been confirmed in a civil courtroom, he by no means confronted prices. He continued recruiting and coaching teenage boys till his dying in 2019, aged 87.
New accusers got here ahead after the documentary was broadcast, with over 1000 victims having to this point mentioned they had been abused by Kitagawa.
Amid the fallout, the Johnny & Associates expertise company introduced that it’s going to break up into two entities, with one specializing in compensating victims, whereas the opposite will work with upcoming artists.
“We’ll disband Johnny & Associates and face the victims in a honest method. The brand new firm will create a brand new future with its followers,” mentioned Noriyuki Higashiyama, the company’s present president, at a information convention.
Now, Higashiyama has advised the BBC that he believes on account of the investigation that there have been two extra predatory males working on the company, and that he believes them each to nonetheless be alive.
He has not contacted authorized authorities in connections together with his new findings thus far
“From a authorized standpoint, I don’t assume we now have the authority to do this,” Higashiyama mentioned. “But when these concerned file a felony grievance, I think about we might co-operate as a lot as doable.”
Among the victims of Kitagawa’s abuse have accused the organisation of failing to behave swiftly sufficient and never making their compensation process clear.
The earlier boss of the company, Julie Keiko Fujishima — Kitagawa’s niece — was ordered to resign from her place following the accusations in opposition to her uncle.
In September, Higashiyama was accused of sexually assaulting younger boys.
He appeared at a press convention on September 7, the place he was met with questions in regards to the claims.
On the occasion, journalists requested him whether or not allegations revealed in a e-book, which claimed that he massaged boys’ crotches, uncovered his genitals and advised them to “eat my sausage” had been true (through BBC Information).
Right here, he responded that he had no recollection of any occasions that will or could not have occurred. “I don’t keep in mind clearly,” he responded. “Possibly it occurred, perhaps it didn’t. I’ve hassle remembering.”
He did nevertheless acknowledge claims that he had bullied youthful performers, saying that it was doable he had been overly strict with them and wouldn’t behave in that very same method now.