Ex-prosecutor who accused boss of rape urges reform

A Japanese prosecutor, who uses the pseudonym Hikari, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on March 31. | AFP-JIJI

AFP-JIJI

Sep 1, 2026

An ex-prosecutor who publicly accused her boss of rape said on Tuesday that her former office needs reform, adding that victims’ allegations are not properly investigated.

Very few women in Japan speak out about sexual assault, but the prosecutor, who uses the pseudonym Hikari, in 2024 accused Osaka’s then-top prosecutor of raping her six years earlier.

Kentaro Kitagawa, who retired after serving as head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office, was arrested and admitted the assault but later withdrew his statement, saying the sex was consensual.

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