Fuji TV third-party panel: Will no longer communicate with ex-TV star's side
A third-party panel set up by Fuji Television and its parent company says it will refrain from communicating with lawyers representing former TV personality Nakai Masahiro in the alleged sexual violence case, citing concerns over secondary damage to the victim.
The panel said on Tuesday that it is also refusing again the lawyers' request to disclose evidence it had used to determine that Nakai had committed sexual violence against a former Fuji TV announcer.
The panel went on to say that the views of both sides are far apart, adding that its members have found it difficult to bridge the gap.
In a report released late March, the panel determined that the woman was subjected to sexual violence by Nakai while engaging in activities related to her work. Their finding was based on the definition of sexual violence by the World Health Organization.
In mid-May, Nakai's lawyers requested that relevant evidence be disclosed. But the panel refused, arguing that the fact-finding process was appropriate and that it was under a confidentiality obligation to Fuji Television.
On Friday, Nakai's legal team once again demanded that the panel disclose the evidence and provide an explanation, but were turned down in writing on Tuesday.
Nakai was a member of the disbanded pop idol group SMAP. He became popular as a TV emcee and actor.
He retired from show business in January, after a weekly magazine reported the scandal in December.
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