A Japanese Pop Idol Had To Apologise For Speaking Up About Her Alleged Sexual Assault
She bowed down - several times - on stage to her fans.
By Sadho Ram — 12 Jan 2019, 03:54 PM
Maho Yamaguchi, a 23-year-old member of J-pop girl group NGT48, had to apologise at a concert to a packed crowd on Thursday, 10 January, for "causing trouble" by speaking up about a sexual assault she experienced by two men at the entrance to her home recently
On Thursday night, the pop idol went on the stage, telling audience members during one of the group's performances that she was "truly sorry" for "causing trouble."
"I am sorry for causing trouble," Maho Yamaguchi, often referred to as "Mahohon" by fans, said in her apology as she bowed - several times - on stage in Niigata, Japan.
The pop idol's apology comes days after she came forward with disturbing details about how two men assaulted her at the entrance to her home in December.
Japan's national public broadcasting organisation, NHK corroborated the incident, reporting that in early December, two 25-year-old men grabbed Yamaguchi by her face at the entrance to her home, and told her that they just wanted to talk to her.
While both the men were arrested, they were released without charge on 29 December.
Prior to the apology, Yamaguchi discussed the incident in detail on social media, where she revealed how she was forced to the ground by the two men and that the assault left her deeply traumatised
These clips from Yamaguchi's online stream captures what she revealed, saying she thought she could have been killed. The clips suddenly stop while she was speaking.
While some of the tweets in which Yamaguchi revealed the details of the assault were later deleted, her supporters on the social media platform preserved her story.
According to AnimeNewsNetwork's report, police said that the two suspects "only wanted to talk to Yamaguchi, and didn't think it would be a big deal".
Meanwhile, NGT48's agency, AKS has since issued a statement, saying that it would increase security measures for its members and that it had barred three men from attending the group's events
In a statement posted to the group’s official website, the talent agency apologised for the "concerns and troubles caused."
It acknowledged that the situation was not managed as well as it should have been.
The company added that it has provided members with personal alarm devices and said it would patrol neighbourhoods where members live and provide counselling.