KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the barrage of allegations involving sexual harassment, a mayor in Japan has vehemently denied the accusations and cried in a press conference as he announced his decision to quit.
An investigation found that 74-year-old Hideo Kojima has been accused of, among others, touching a colleague’s chest and buttocks.
He also denied allegations that he hugged women employees, saying his gestures might look like hugs in incidents witnessed by others.
“I didn’t do it,” he said in televised comments.
According to public broadcaster NHK, the report detailed that Kojima supposedly told his female staff to touch his hands as they were “fair and smooth”, as well as “show off his legs by rolling up his trousers for them to touch”.
As for claims that he patted female staff on the head, he said this was to show gratitude.
According to the report, staffers who had to touch him often disinfected their hands after.
However, no criminal case has been launched against him.
The report was a result of a survey among 193 workers in the central Gifu municipality.
Of the 161 respondents, 53% of men and 58% of women said Kojima’s actions made them feel uncomfortable. – March 1, 2024