Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled Coach Fired After Claims of Sexual Assault Made by Female Staff Member

From Nippon TV via Yahoo! Japan

April 26 2023

JAPAN – A female staff member of the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled (JSFD), in her 20s has told Nippon TV that she was sexually assaulted by the head coach of the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled in January of this year, specifically that she was raped by the Italian head coach during a trip to the World Championships in Spain.

She said, “He called me over for dinner to show me around or something. I thought it would be rude to ignore him since he was my coach, so I followed him, and he put me straight into his room…”

On the first night of the training camp, the head coach called her out and sexually assaulted her.

The next day, she received a photo of the boots she needed for practice on social media. She was told it was “left in the coach’s room” and when she went to retrieve it, she was attacked again.

“When I thought about taking them [the boots] and leaving the room, the door was closed and my boots were taken away…”” said a female staff member of the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled.

During the training camp, the coach kept in touch with her persistently.

“There was a handwritten note in my pocket at the ski resort, and when I ignored his line, he wrote, ‘Why don’t you reply to my message? ‘ It said, ‘Why don’t you reply?

The federation has since dismissed the coach.

On April 26th, the issue was taken up in the Diet.

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Nagaoka (House of Representatives, Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 26th)

I think it is absolutely unforgivable. It is truly regrettable.

MEXT Minister Nagaoka expressed his intention to ask the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled to prevent a recurrence.

Mr. Michiyoshi Yuzuki, a member of the Constituent Democratic Party of Japan asked “How do you plan to provide guidance to the Federation and prevent recurrence?”

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Nagaoka responded:

“I heard from the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled that they will immediately dismiss the perpetrator coach, and that they will consider measures to prevent recurrence, including the preparation of a manual and guidelines within the Federation.”

The Sports Agency received a report of the damage from the Japan Ski Federation for the Disabled on April 19, after some weekly magazines had reported the incident. Some have pointed out the Federation’s slow response.