UN expert calls for 'independent' setup to tackle sexual abuse in Japan

By Anadolu staff

A United Nations expert expressed concers over sexual abuses in Japan and called for an "independent" setup to tackle sexual abuse in the country, local media reported on Thursday.

During the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Robert McCorquodale, chief of a working group that released a report on Japan-related issues last month, recommended to set up an independent national institution to tackle the sexual abuse issues in Japan, Tokyo-based Kyodo News Agency reported.

McCorquodale also talked about the shotcomings in legal system to handle such cases and called it "unacceptable."

On Tuesday, Japanese prosecutors indicted a US soldier over the alleged sexual assault and kidnapping of a under 16-year-old girl late last year, where judge is expected to hear the case on July 12.

High rates of sexual violence persist in Japan, with 1 in 14 women having experienced forced intercourse, according to a 2020 Cabinet survey — a scourge symptomatic of patriarchal attitudes, values and practices that put many at risk of abuse, reported The Japan Times.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid