Johnnys scandal . Vol II.
Yes, I take it personally. And I feel that there's not enough information about it available in English about what really happened in japan.
So, if you don't like the boring subject about law and Johnny Kitagawa latest "scandal", just scroll down without looking.
LAW:
⚖️ 無罪推定の原則. it means principle of innocence. It is regulated on 336 of Criminal procedure and article 31 of Japan Constitution and most of the Human rights treaties. That 's easy: is presumed innocent until trial demonstrates is guilty.
Johnny is accused of 重要犯罪 (major crime). Normally, police would isolate the suspect for 23 days to get a confession. A person can be punished only by a confession, or at least been indicted or prosecuted only for what he said in the police office. At least that is what the law says.
The social tradition is another: when someone gets arrested the public "gets the impression of being guilty". So media, call them "◯◯容疑者" so "John Doe Suspect" as honorific. Latelly, if they already had a political activities or CEO is "元社長" so "ex-whatever honorific he used to have. And the case who broke all the traditions were also idols so is said "山口メンバ", and a lot of band "members".
⚖️And the thing that is crucial: for sexual crimes the age of consentment in 13 years old (men and women) and you have to prove that you REALLY resisted it. It can be controversial, but it is the law. So he was 15 years old at that time and he “pretended to be asleep” so that is consent. Court won't consider it a sexual attack under those circumstances. It may result in "obscenity", but the thing is Cowan never resisted and even though he knew what being alone with Johnny meant he continued going. So, only for his sayings, wouldn't be a case.
⚖️ Last but no least in law issues: the statute of limitations for Forced Sex Crimes is only 10 years and for Forced Obscenity it is 7 years, according to the Criminal Procedure Code in Japan (article 110). So, if he wanted to sue him, he had only 7 years, and Johnny died before that.
ABOUT JOURNALISM
📜History: It is the first dennunce?
Well, let's say no.
Although, there were many articles in magazines about it. Would you sleep in the same room with such a history of accusations?
So, that is another fake: it was covered several times in the media.
🕺The first one was Koji Kita (real name Koji Matsushita) , a name changed by Kitagawa himself. He was a Four Leaves member from 1968 until the dissolution in 1978. In 1988 at the 光GENJI great boom, he writes a book "To hikaru genji'' produced by an av director. He mentioned various things but not something explicit like abuse. He had many financial problems until the publication of the book, even a jail time for drug abuse. In the 2010' he recognized that all the money he made from the 5 books series about johnny, he spended on alcohol and "betrayed his benefactor who made Kita a star". In 2012 he died of liver cancer.
🕺Ryo Nakatani ex johnny's jr book on 1989.
🕺Junya Hiramoto. Belonged to Johnny's from 1980 to 1989. He made a book too. And was the one who appeared on the BBC documentary this year.
🕺Toyokawa Jiyou (real name Takashi Honda, renamed by Mary Kitakawa) he was an orphan so his name was imposed by his foster parents at 8 years old. He wrote his book with a journalist collaboration in 1997. He went to Johnny's funeral to thank him for taking him out of the street and giving him a better life.
📰 Bushun first article was on 1999. The diet even has a special session to discuss the matter, but no trial because of the lack of testimonies. Until 2003, Johhnys was on trial with the magazine and claimed an amount of damages. The magazine was sentenced to pay.
👨⚖️ a year after in 2003, was the first trial about the two man who didn't testified at 2002 scandal. Their names are protected until today. They said the jr had sexual intercurses with Johnny in order to have a better position or make a debut. It wasn't a criminal trial, it was civil so it ended with a money agreement reduced by the court of Tokyo.
📰 Bushun did a new article after Johnny's death on 2019. A man in Arashi 's era, told of abuse in jr. He saw a child 14 years old and 15 years old suffer abuse.
And then the 2023 Cowan's case.
Finally I let part of this interview here: his name is 前田航気 Meada Koki. He was on jr at the same time with Cowan and at the same age. The real interview was deleted and only survives this caption, from 2021.
Let's see, the other topic about it.
NANDE DAROU?
🤷BUT... Johnny is dead. So, no one can be convicted in the tomb.
After years, Japan Justice has been criticized about forced confession and convictions without proof only with the testimony of the victim. There are many cases of innocent convicted by error. And thus their lives got ruined by the media exposure. Some of them even suicide after it.
🤷If you can get justice, and the perpetrator gets convicted of the crime: why would you do a press conference?
Well, Cowan already found in trouble for lying. Even he directed his fans through a link to donate for 3.11 and got tricked for a personal Cowan account. Many fans got furious and denounced it to police, but they didn’t prosecute it because Cowan apologized quickly after that.
On the SixTones debut he mocked Shintaro calling him Gorilla (as he had called him during Gamushara). Time to time he still tweets about “the gorilla”.
And with Johnny alive he said he was kicked out and even sued by Kitagawa himself. The Jimusho made him retract him calling the prosecutor to corroborate the fake news spreaded by Cowan. Again, he turned out “safe and sound” because he apologized by twitter shortly after.
🤷Why if you were raped, you will thanks Johnny for make you an star? Would someone thanks his offendant after a rape?. The past week, he agreed to get a reunion with Julie (he said he never saw her before) and be cordial and thankful with the current CEO and niece of your rapist.
🤷 Do the Angency Structure benenfit this? Many points out, the Agency has to take action. And I ask my self, What they should do? The suspect is dead. What else? And this came to my mind: 💴. So, the only way to cope your pain is money?. I don't know, a 土下座 in front of all media of Julie K will be enough?. Bushun called Specialist and a group of 80 fans reunited to demand for the agency response. I still thinking would be the response to it.
🤷 What is the benefit of the scandal?
Many. Johnny’s had been THE idol company for more than 60 years. The newer male idols are LDH and other minor companies. Even Tacky company “TOBE” takes advantage of the scandal and takes his first audition to trainees, in the same weeks.
Also Johnny’s empire is menaced by the Kpop industry, projects like “produce 101” and others tried to conquer the japanese market. They already had a privilege to be worldwide available, but now Johnnys is too.
🗾≠ 🌎 So, even if Japanese law and Japanese society doesn’t work with that setmind, the world now says “if the Company president is suspected to be a child offender, it is time to close the whole company”.
My opinion (just me)
Okamoto's testimony is not credible. Hashida Yashushi new testimony, either. I have to be clear here. Biology is the same in every human being: could be erected by an hour?. The testimony is almost copy-cat, most of child offenders won't do a fellatio on a teenagger. Is not the way of the abuser thoughts works. And the thing here, they stood in the company a few years until they become adults, reciving money and benefits every time after the abuse.
What will happen with the debuted talents?
He also mentioned names as Matsumoto Jun and Shori Sato as victims too. They also will be canceled from tv appearances? Why will you force them to identify themselves as victims of abuse against their will?
He said that Senpais knew it and kept going to Jk place. Is he implying that Senpais were an accomplice?
What will happen with the juniors?
Repeat: I'm not saying Johnny Kitagawa is innocent, but the testimonies are not credible at all. We have principle of innocence and reasonable doubt. Plus, JHK is DEAD.
The law can't prosecute a dead person so, what is the thing behind the international scoop? What people wants of the Agency? And the current Talents?
Ps. I tried to make it readble with gif and so on, but not my lessons are not like that. When I do my Lecture is quite complicate and with zero emoji.
If you don't think the same can comment or even PM, but don´t dennunce this post.
I'll be grateful if we can create a think critically, so I open to discuss it
Bye!