"Johnny's abuse victims seek transparency on compensation criteria," 17 January 2024

The extensive scope of Johnny Kitagawa's decadeslong sexual abuse has made it difficult to identify what has been done to whom, with almost 1,000 individuals claiming to be victims...

...a victims' group demanded more transparency on the criteria for compensation. They also asked that the agency grant compensation on the basis of what they say they have endured, instead of denying their claims because they lack documentation proving they worked for the company...

Dozens are seeking advice from the victims' group after being denied compensation, he added...

The agency also said that it has decided not to disclose the amount of compensation received or how much victims would be paid in "model cases," on the grounds that some victims have asked for such information to be confidential for fear of slander...

But it has been difficult for victims to prove their affiliation with the talent agency as some of them were abused prior to signing official contracts. These include those who submitted their resumes or took part in auditions...

Since [Kenichiro Kawai] did not sign a contract, proving sexual abuse was difficult... He emphasized that there were many others whose claims were rejected because they could not prove their affiliation with the agency...

Kazuya Sugiyama, a lawyer for the victims group, criticized the agency for not disclosing the criteria for compensation or how much money had been paid to victims...