Japan's Masahiro Nakai sexually assaulted Fuji TV staff amid ‘culture of harassment': report
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The report on Monday centred on
Masahiro Nakai , a former leader of Japan's once-popular boy band SMAP, and how Fuji TV handled the 2023 case in which Nakai allegedly sexually assaulted a Fuji announcer at a dinner at his home. He later reached a settlement with the woman.
A 'serious infringement of human rights occurred', the report by a lawyer-led panel said, describing the incident involving the woman as sexual violence 'occurring as an extension of her job' and refuting Fuji TV executives' previous conclusion that it was a 'private issue', according to Japanese media.
'Although there was no involvement of [other] employees on the day, it was not just a private matter between the two people and we have determined that it was an extension of business duties,' said panel leader Akira Takeuchi as quoted by The Japan Times.
But the panel said it was not in a position to establish whether Nakai, who was a host and TV celebrity with Fuji TV, had committed a criminal offence.
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Takeuchi noted, however, that there was a 'persistent culture of sexual harassment at Fuji TV', which was found to have a culture of inviting good-looking female employees to dinners with business partners, potentially giving rise to sexual harassment.
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