The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office will conduct a harassment survey of prosecutors and other employees nationwide, following a sexual assault case involving a former head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office.
The supreme office issued related instructions to local prosecutor offices across the country last month and plans to compile a report by the end of fiscal 2026.
This was revealed by Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi at a news conference on Friday. ¡°We are considering further concrete measures to improve the workplace environment,¡± Hiraguchi said.
In the high-profile case, Kentaro Kitagawa, 66, is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a female subordinate prosecutor.
In March, the female prosecutor submitted a petition to the justice minister and the prosecutor-general, requesting the launch of an independent investigative panel and a harassment survey covering all employees at prosecutor offices.
However, she resigned at the end of April, suggesting that her petition was ignored.
On Friday, she issued a statement arguing that a harassment survey by the top prosecutor office is pointless and calling for a third-party committee to conduct a fair and neutral survey.
During the day¡¯s press conference, Hiraguchi noted that establishing a third-party committee could cause problems in terms of the independence of the judiciary, as Kitagawa¡¯s criminal trial is ongoing. ¡°It requires extremely careful consideration,¡± the minister said.
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