1.何が起きているのかわからない～レイプ現場の残酷な現実

★第一部：サポートもないままひとりで探し求めた真実

Part 1: Seeking truth without support

ミエ・コヒヤマさん（以下、M）: 訴訟を起こすのは大変な決断でしたよね？

Mie Kohiyama(M) : Was it difficult to decide whether or not to approach the police to file a complaint after you were raped?

詩織さん（以下、S）: はい、とても難しかったです。当初は自分の身に起こったことにあまりにも混乱していたし、TBSのワシントン支局長だった山口氏を尊敬していたこともあり、ました。何がなんだかわからなくて、とにかく自分のアパートに帰って体を洗いたかった。実はこれが、証拠を消してしまう最もやってはいけないことだったのですが。とにかく、私はどうすればいいのか？ 誰かに教えて欲しかった。

日本の学校では、いかに身を守るかは教えるけれど、対処法は教えてくれません。レイプされたら、被害を受けたら自分に落ち度があったのではないか。そんな考え方がどこか私にもにあって、自分自身で冷静に事実を認識するまで時間がかかったと思います。



Shiori Ito (S) : It was a very hard decision to take. I was so confused about what had happened to me and I also had a lot of respect for Mr. Yamaguchi, who was the bureau chief for TBS in Washington at the time.

It was very hard to understand what had just happened, but all I knew was that I had to go home and take a shower. This was, in fact, the worst thing I could have done because you lose all of the evidence you need, although I had evidence on my underwear… I wish someone had told me what to do when these things happen.

In school, they don’t teach you what to do after you face such circumstances. They simply tell you how to protect yourself, how to prevent yourself from ending up in such situations. So if you are raped or sexually assaulted, it’s very easy to blame yourself, to tell yourself that you weren’t able to avoid the situation, or couldn’t protect yourself. This is why it took me some time to fully realize what had happened – because I blamed myself.

伊藤さんが監督した孤独死のドキュメンタリー（CNAで放映）は、NEW YORK FESTIVAL WORLD'S BEST TV ＆ FILMSのFINALISTに選ばれた。

M: あなたも多くの被害者と同じように「自分が悪い」と感じたわけね。その後なぜ、届け出たの？

M: It seems that you reacted like many other rape victims do: they feel guilty and place the blame on themselves. How, then, did you get to the point where you contacted the police to file a complaint?

S: 日に日に体の痛みが増していったからです。アフターピルを飲みましたが妊娠の恐怖が頭を離れなかったし、膝の関節がずれベッドから起き上がるのも辛かった。

今までインターンなどで働いた経験で、日本のメディアがいかに男性社会かはわかっていたし、相手は総理、有力政治家とも太いパイプをもつ人。私の言うことなんか、だれも信じないだろうと思いました。ちょうど勉強も終わり、ずっと憧れていた夢の仕事につく直前でしたが大学を卒業して就職活動中だったし、この業界、社会は「こんなものなのか……」と。

でも、事実に蓋をしたら私の何かが捻じれてしまう、と気づいたんです。ジャーナリストとして真実を追うのに、自分の真実からは目を背けるのか？ このとき、事件を公にしよう、警察に届けようと思ったんです。



S: I decided to take action because, in the days after the incident, my body started to hurt more and more. My kneecap was dislocated. It was hard to get out from bed, both physically and mentally. I was also constantly haunted by my fear of an unwanted pregnancy, even though I had taken the morning-after pill.

I had already known how much of a male-dominated society the Japanese media industry is, having worked in various companies as an intern in the past. I had known that my aggressor was connected to powerful politicians, including the Prime Minister, and I didn’t think anyone would believe me.

I was about to finish my studies and graduate from university, working towards my dream of becoming a journalist, when it happened. At the time, I was looking for a job in media, and I thought this was the norm, that this was what happened regularly in this industry, in our society.

Having grown up in Japan, this experience made me think that maybe this is the way that this society works; we just have to bear the violence.

But I knew I was going to feel twisted inside if I tried to put a lid on the truth. I also realized that if I couldn’t face my truth, I would have no right to be a journalist. Taking away my dream meant that I had no reason to live. This is how I decided that I would have to talk about what had happened, and this was the moment I decided to go to the police.

2.レイプ捜査の問題点

M: その後どんな行動をとったの？

M: Can you tell us what happened next?

S: 事情を説明し、女性の警察官と話がしたいと伝えやっとのことで2時間ほど話したところ、交通課なので男性の警部補と話してくれと言われ、そうして別の男性担当者に話したら「管轄外だから、高輪署に行ってください」と。別の日に出直しようやく捜査官と話ができたのですが、彼は私の訴えを聞いた後に「これはよく起こることだから、捜査はできない」 と言ったのです。



S: I remember just walking into the police station and telling the receptionist that I want to talk to a female investigator, but he didn’t understand why, so I had to describe what had happened. I was eventually taken into an investigation room with a female police officer, to whom I told everything in great detail. It took me a long time to explain what had happened, and I had panic attack while trying to remember. After talking to her, she said, “I’m sorry but I’m from the traffic department” and she asked me to speak to a male investigator. So I did the same with him. He told me, “I’m sorry, but what happened to you didn’t happen in this neighborhood”. I was raped in Takanawa so they told me that I had to report the incident to the Takanawa police.

When I was finally given the chance to speak to the right person, he told me that “these things happen often and we cannot investigate each case in detail”.

M: よく起こるって、レイプが？

M: By “these things”, did he mean rape? That rape is a common occurrence?

S: その通りです。無理だと言われたけれど「ホテルの監視カメラ映像が期限切れになる前に捜査してください！」と頼み込んだのです。捜査官も映像を見てようやく、何か犯罪が起こったのだと気づいてくれました。けれど、大手テレビ局支局長を訴えたら、あなたは二度と日本で働けなくなる。人生が水の泡になるから、事件にしないほうがいいと言われました。

その後男性が左遷されたニュースをきっかけに何度も話して、'15年4月末にようやく被害届を出したのです受理してくれました。最終的にその捜査官は、非常に協力的に動いてくれたと思います。



S: Yes, that’s what he said. So I had to convince him to open an investigation, and I begged him to check the security cameras in the hotel before they would lose access to the footage. I knew which hotel I came out from after the incident, but I didn’t know how I got there as I’d lost all of my memory of that evening. I didn’t remember anything past entering a Sushi restaurant for dinner. Eventually, when he saw the footage from the hotel, the investigator began to realize that some criminal act had taken place.

But he didn’t file a report. He told me that if I accused a high ranking TBS journalist, my life would be over and I would never be able to work, especially as a journalist, in Japan. He advised me to not to file the case.

After various media outlets eventually reported on Mr. Yamaguchi’s demotion, and through further continuation of discussions with the police, they finally accepted my filed complaint at the end of April 2015. Looking back, it seems to me that the investigator was quite cooperative, and did a lot to help me out.

3.改善すべき操作方法

M: 日本の状況を変えるためには何を改善すべきですか？ 支援センター？ 法律？ それとも権力構造？

M: What kind of improvements should be made in Japan in regards to handling cases of rape and sexual assault? What kind of progress can be made in terms of victim support? What kind of changes can be made in the judicial system, or with the authorities?

S: すべてですね。でもまずは、警察の捜査システムは改善してほしいです。日本の被害者女性たちに話を聞きましたが、届け出ない人の多くが「男性警官に話を聞かれ、信じてもらえない、そして警察で事件を再現しなくてはいけないから」と言っていました。



S: All of these facets – every single organization – needs to be improved. First and foremost, the current processes for investigation put in place by the police must be improved. With many of the Japanese rape victims I have interviewed, the reason why they do not file a complaint is because, in their initial contact with an officer, they are not believed. Furthermore, the officer, who is almost always male, then must return to the scene of the crime to reenact the events that transpired and discuss the incident with his colleagues, who are again mostly male.

M: 再現?

M: Reenact?

S: そう。大勢の警察官達の前で人形を相手にレイプの再現をし写真を撮られます。フランスにもあります？



S: Yes. I had to lie down on the floor, and they brought in this life size doll. There were three or four male investigators with a camera. And they just pushed the doll on top of me and moved it around my body, as if to “reenact” the crime. They had to take photos of me like this. Do you have to do this in France?

M: まさか！ 殺人事件の場合は容疑者が行う場合があるけれど、被害者はありえない。それはひどいトラウマになりますね。

M: Absolutely not! In France, there are cases where the police do reenactments, for instance with murder cases, but this never involves the victims. And never for rape. That must have been terribly traumatizing.

『ブラックボックス』（文藝春秋刊）

4.最も届出の少ない重大犯罪

S: 被害届を出してから2カ月間、とにかく私が警察に話し、訴え続けました。ある捜査官からは、こうも言われました。「起こったことはふたりにしかわからない」――だから私は自分の本を『ブラックボックス』と題しました。事件も、手続きも、あらゆるところに密室ブラックボックスがある。'13年の調査では、レイプ被害者のわずか４％しか被害届を出していないんです。手続きが複雑すぎて整備や理解が十分でないために、日本だけではなくアメリカでも「最も届出の少ない重大犯罪」と呼ばれています。真実にたどり着けるのが、ほんのわずかだから。この捜査システムはまず変えなければと思います。

S: For two months I had to keep talking to the police, to convince them to make the investigation going. One investigator said these words to me: “Only the two of you know what really happened”. They used the term “black box”, which is how I titled my book, as I had heard it so often during the case, even from the prosecutor. Everything from the incident to the procedure was shrouded in this black box.

Statistics from 2013 show that only 4% of rape victims report the crime to police in Japan. Rape is often considered the most commonly unreported serious offence, not only in Japan but also in the US, because it is a complicated matter to process, and systems are often lacking in preparation and understanding. And, in the end, it’s incredibly rare for the victims of rape to get the justice they deserve. The current investigation process serves a big part in concealing this truth.

5.見えてきた専門家の不在

M: レイプ被害者のための団体は？

M: Are there any support groups or organizations for rape victims in Japan?



S: ありますが、少ないですね。しかも常駐する職員も数人ほどで全都道府県にありません。



S: Yes, but only a few. Not all prefectures have this support, with only a few qualified professionals being able to help.



M: フランスには支援団体がたくさんあるんですが、あなたはひとりだったのね！ 捜査の2カ月間ずっと。

M: In France there are many organizations supporting victims of rape and assault. To think that you were alone, without this support, for the two months undergoing these investigations…



S: 友人達は支えてくれました。



S: My friends were there to support me.

6.性犯罪を口にするというタブー

M: その後、なぜ自ら事件を公表しようと思ったのですか？

M: After you filed the complaint, when did you decide to go public with the incident and why?



S: 捜査の末に、裁判所から逮捕令状が出ました。警察は山口氏の逮捕の日取りを決めました。でも逮捕当日に「警視庁トップの指示で逮捕はとりやめになった」と言われたんです。なぜそんな事が起こるのか？ 信じられませんでした。裏で何かが起こっていると恐怖を感じました。また当時は何をしても無力なんだと感じました。担当捜査官も検察官も捜査から外され、誰に相談していいかわからなかった。

結局勝つのは権力なんだ、と絶望のどん底だった。けれど、どんな状況でも前に進まなければと思ったのです。捜査の疑問やサポートシステムの不備を伝えるため、自分の事件を報道できないかと、今まで仕事をしてきた国内外のメディアに声をかけ始めました。



S:After two months of investigation, the court finally issued a warrant for his arrest. They called to confirm this, and the date of his arrest. A few days later, I got another call telling me that the police had received an order from the “top police chief” to cancel the arrest warrant. I couldn’t believe it. How could this have happened?

I was so scared all of a sudden. I knew something was wrong, that something was happening behind the scenes. I called the prosecutor who said he was taken off this case ( the main investigator on the case was also moved). I felt powerless.

I didn’t know what to do, or who to turn to. The whole ordeal confirmed my belief that power cannot be trumped; I was in a pit of despair. My voice was too small to reach out or travel anywhere. That day, I felt that there is no justice. But I couldn’t let this crime pass through unnoticed. I knew I had to keep moving forward, whatever the situation may be, and I tried to talk to some journalists both in Japan and abroad who I can trust. I needed to communicate the inadequacies of the legal, judiciary and social support systems in the face of such incidents.

7.会見前に書いた遺書

M: 最初に週刊誌の記事が出て、続いて昨年5月に、自ら記者会見をしたんですよね？

M: At first a weekly magazine published an article about your incident. Then, you decided to go public at a press conference on May 29th last year.

S: 逮捕状は執行されませんでしたが事件は書類送検され、検察は山口氏の事情聴取などを行い、'16年7月に証拠不十分で不起訴にしたのです。そのとき私は次のステップに進むことを決意しました。検察審査会へ申し立てをして、自分で事件を公表しようと思ったのです。もちろんそんなことしたくありませんでしたが、ここで私がやらなければ、私の妹や親友や、大切な人々にだって同じことが起こりうる。次の犠牲者を生んでしまうと思ったのです。

申し立てのために、自分で証拠を調べ直したり、公表へ向け家族を説得したりと準備しました。そして、昨年5月の機会がやってきたんです。



S: My case was moved to the prosecutor’s office, where they investigated Mr. Yamaguchi through questioning. But they dropped the case in July 2016 due to lack of evidence. That day I prepared myself for the next step: to go public, and to also make a request to the prosecutor to reopen the case.

This is what I did. Of course I didn’t want to do all of this, but I knew that if I avoided these problems – if, this time, I myself didn’t face them head on – the same things might happen to my sister, my best friends and to others who are dear to me. I would be responsible for making victims out of the people I love.

We had to start again from square one. I had to persuade my family to agree to my going public with the incident. After months of preparation and re-investigation, in May of last year, I finally got the chance to speak out.

M: 会見するのは怖かった？

M: How did you feel leading up to the press conference?

S: 会見前に遺書を書きました。何が起こるかわからないし、周囲の人に感謝を伝えたかった。不思議なくらい落ち着いていて、私の進む道はこれしかない、と確信していたのです。

でも、友人の助けがなくてはできませんでした。最初の報道が出てから一人暮らししていた部屋の周辺で不審なことが続き、親友の家に数ヶ月身を隠しました。彼女は私を家に泊めて、記者クラブにも一緒に行ってくれた。タクシーの中でGloria Gaynorの『 I will survive』を2人で歌いながら（笑）。彼女のおかげで前日までの恐怖感も払拭できました冷静でいられたと思います。



S: I wrote a will before going in, because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I wanted to thank everyone who had stood by me. It was very odd because I felt very calm and I was certain that this was the only way forward.

I couldn’t have done it without my best friend’s help. She gave me a place to hide out in for months when I couldn’t get back into my apartment, where I lived alone, because of some suspicious activity that took place outside of my building after the first articles came out about my case. She let me stay with her, and even came to the press conference with me.

On our way, we sang Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” in the taxi (laughter). Her being there made me feel more relaxed and calm – thanks to her, I didn’t feel so terrified during the days leading up to the press conference.

8.戦う相手は社会のシステム

M: 会見はどうでした？

M: How did it go?

S: 司法記者クラブでは、やってもどのメディアも報じられない、やっても傷つくだけだし無駄と聞いていたので予想外に多くの記者とカメラがいて驚きましたが、落ち着いて話せたと思います。終わるとどっと疲れが出て倒れてしまい、食べることもできませんでした。

会見はゴシップのように報道されました。私と家族の情報はまたたくまに晒されて、嫌がらせや脅しのメールが殺到しました。度重なるインタビューの中で山口氏についての質問も増え、あるインタビューの直後に倒れてしまい、その後10日間、食べることもできませんでした。公表を反対していた家族とは、しばらく連絡を取れませんでした。私は法律や制度の問題を未来のために訴えたかったのに、山口氏とレイプのことばかりが先行してしまいました。ネットで様々なことが書かれ、家族や友人へも危害が加わったらどうしようという恐怖から、友人の家の外から出ることができなくなり、どう生きていけばいいのか、人生を終わりにしようと思いました。しかし性暴力についてオープンに話せる社会にしたいと思ったのに、ここで私が潰れたら、やはり話してはいけない社会だったと証明してしまうことになると思い、話し続けることを決心しました。この頃はもう彼への怒りより、事件後に体験したことのショックというか、社会全体に対する憤りのほうが大きかったのです。それを伝えるために、取材を受け始めました。

そうするうちに、ロンドンの人権団体が、こちらに来ないかと誘ってくれたのです。本当に救われました。私のことを誰も知らないロンドンで、無心でジョギングして。再び人間に戻れた！（笑）って瞬間だった。この滞在中に本も書き始めました。



S: Some journalists told me that Japanese media will not cover this story and I will be just waste of my time, so I was quite surprised when I entered the press room as there were many cameras and many journalists – more than I thought there would be. I think I was able to speak well enough, in a calm state of mind.

The press coverage was presented in a very gossipy way. My family photos and information were published. I was receiving threats via email, Facebook messages, and phone calls, too. Every interview threw more and more questions about Mr. Yamaguchi at me; immediately after a particular interview, I collapsed and I couldn’t eat for 10 days…

I was not in contact with my family for a long time – I wanted to protect them from the press, also they had been against me speaking out about this publicly.

The point of these press conferences, of going public and doing interviews, was to make way for a better future, to address legal issues and policy. The media outlets, however, continued to ask only about the rape and to sensationalize my case. I read horrible things about me online, and received even more threats. I started to fear for my own safety, as well as the safety of my friends and family; at one point I was too scared to step foot outside of my friend’s house. I didn’t know how to keep going, how long I could live like this. I thought my life was over. I felt there was no place left for me in society.

But I eventually realized that I couldn’t give in; if I was going to work towards building a society in which we can speak openly about sexual assault, I wasn’t going to give up now. I didn’t want society or, the things we consider “taboo”, to win this battle; that would simply perpetuate and forgive sexual assault through the culture of silence. I made up my mind to keep speaking out. At this point, the need to share my experience and to express my resentment towards society far surpassed my anger for him.

Some time had passed when a woman from a women rights organization in London got in touch with me and invited me to the city. That was my saving grace, I think. And just like that, I was jogging in London, a transplant in a city where no one knows anything about me. I felt human once more… that was a great feeling. I was anonymous. I started writing my book last July, during this time.

9. 日本で「#MeToo」がムーブメントにならないワケ

★第二部：日本の#Me Too を個人から社会の問題へ

Part Two: #MeToo in Japan - personal issues become social issues

M: 本も出版し、被害者同士の連携の中心になっていますか？

M: Now that your book has been published, do you feel like it has created a bond of solidarity between you and other victims of rape and sexual assault?

S: いえ、東京にいないのでなかなか難しいですが、連絡を取り合い強い絆を感じています。

ある日カフェでミーティングをしている際に、突然ひとりの女性が声をかけてくださいました。「私は時効になってしまったから、頑張って欲しい、私は時効になってしまって何もできなかったから」と彼女の目は涙でいっぱいでした。被害を受けた傷に時効なんてないし、「抵抗したか？」も問うべきではないんです。

スウェーデンのある調査で７割は性暴力をふるわれたら、体が凍り付いてしまうという調査結果も出ています。



S: It’s hard to gauge because I am not in Tokyo anymore, but I feel very connected to the people I write to. We have a strong bond.

One day, while I was having a meeting at a café, a lady passing by asked me, out of the blue, if I was Shiori. She told me that the statute of limitations had passed on her case. She told me that she wanted me to carry on fighting for the cause, because she couldn’t anymore. Her eyes were full of tears. The scar from the rape will never go away and for the scar, statue of limitation doesn’t matter. I believe there should be no statute of limitations on rape cases, and I also think it is unacceptable to ask if the victim “fought back” when it happened. The discussion of rape should center on whether consent was given, instead of the ability of the victim to prove that they were under threat of violence by how much they struggled.

One study in Sweden shows that 70% of sexual assault victims froze when threatened or physically beaten during the crime.

M: あなたの事件を受けて、政治家たちも動き始めました。

M: Do you feel that you got any support from politicians?



S: 政治的な問題にしたくないのですが、法律や制度を変えるため、あらゆる政治家に、私が話せることを話そうと決めました。昨年秋に超党派の調査会が発足して、12月にもヒアリングを行いました。



S: I didn’t want to politicize the issue, but decided to discuss what I could with politicians in order to change the relevant laws and policies surrounding it. A nonpartisan investigative committee was launched last autumn, and a hearing was also held in December.



M: 日本では#Me Too の運動はどうなっていますか？

M: What about the #MeToo movement in Japan?

S: 人気ブロガーのはあちゅうさんが元上司のセクハラを告白して大きな話題になりました。また、自らの体験を告白した小林明子さんというジャーナリストもいます。私の周りでもみんなが#Me Too を語り始めていますが、大きな運動というまでには育っていないのかもしれません。

アメリカではワインスタイン個人の話を超えて、みんなで話し合うべき事実となっているけれど、日本では加害者と被害者の問題になってしまう。



S: A popular blogger called Hachu shared her experience of sexual harassment involving her former boss last December, which blew up in the media. Journalist Akiko Kobayashi also shared her experience.

The people I know, friends and family who run in my circle, have all started talking about #MeToo, but I’d hesitate to call it a “big movement” in Japan.

That’s where the difference lies: in the US, the media isn’t reporting just on Harvey Weinstein, or on one perpetrator – it’s become bigger than that. It’s become a movement of unavoidable truth that must be discussed, out in public instead of in the shadows. In Japan, the problem continues to be private – it remains between the parties involved, the victim and the perpetrator, and has nothing to do with society.

10.声なき人に声を届ける

M: 今後についてはどうですか？

M: What do you think about your future, in the short term?



S: すごく楽天的ですよ。私のゴールは、ジャーナリストとして声なき人に声を与えること。そしてその声を持つ人に届けること。難しいけれど簡単なことではないけれど、それが可能だと気づいたんです。本を書いた後に、性暴力を許さないという多くの手紙、メッセージをいただきました。私は人間の強さや優しさを信じています。たとえ問題が多くても。



S: I’m feeling very optimistic. My goal as a journalist is to give voiceless people a voice, and to offer them a platform from which to speak. It is by no means an easy feat, but I now know it is a goal that is achievable.

After writing my book, I received many letters and messages of support, all of them stating that sexual assault is unforgiveable. I ultimately believe in the strength and kindness of humanity, no matter how many problems we face in this world.

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(↑アルジャジーラではペルーのコカインジャングルに関する作品でカメラマンとして携わった。この作品もNEW YORK FESTIVAL WORLD'S BEST TV ＆ FILMSでファイナリストに選出された。）

M: 何を学んだと思いますか？

M: Have you learned anything from this experience that you could share with us?



S: あなたが動けば物事は変わる、ということです。今は自分がどこに向かうか、はっきり言えませんが。〝レイプ被害者の伊藤詩織〞になってしまうことが怖かったけれど、自分の仕事が大好きで自信を持っているので、この伝えるという仕事に専念していけば一人のジャーナリスト、ドキュメンタリーフィルムメーカーとして生きていける日がくるんだ、と自分に言い聞かせています。「レイプ被害者」は私の名前ではないのですから。



S: Change can happen, and the power to change lies within you. To be honest, I still don’t know where I’m heading in life. I was terrified of being labeled as “Shiori Ito, the rape victim” but I told myself that, because I love my job and have confidence in myself, I could commit to becoming a messenger and a communicator. I still tell myself that, one day, I will simply be a journalist and a documentary filmmaker writer “rape victim” won’t be my name.

11.性犯罪被害者に伝えたい「今苦しかったら無理に戦わなくてもいい」

M: 日本の被害者に何を伝えたい？

M: What message would you like to send to rape victims in Japan?

S: あなた自身を信じて、あなたの真実を信じて。他人がなんと言おうと、あなたが事実を知っているのです。起こった事はあなたのせいではないし、あなたはひとりではない。訴訟は、膨大な時間とエネルギーが必要だけれど、自分を信じて一歩を踏み出すことにもなります。でも、まずは生きのびること。今苦しかったら無理に戦わなくてもいい、少し呼吸が整ってからでないと次のステップを踏み込めないと思うから。そして生きていないとステップも踏み込めないから。



S: To believe in yourself, and believe in your truth. No matter what anyone else says, you know the truth. What happened to you is not your own doing so don’t blame yourself. You are not alone. Legal proceedings can consume an enormous amount of time and energy, but can also help you to believe in yourself, and step forward into the realm of possibility.

But surviving is the most important thing. You don’t have to force yourself into the fight, you can start when you can, because you have to live and survive to take a next step. So please survive and live for now.

M: 後悔はありますか？

M: Do you have any regrets?

S: いいえ。本当の自分でいられるから。隠すことは何もないから。



S: No, I have no regrets. I can be my true self now. I have nothing to hide.

M: 欧米でもレイプ被害者が声を上あげるのは難しいのに、日本でそれを行った。素晴らしい勇気ですよね。

M: Do you realize how much courage it took for you to do all of this? It is difficult for victims to speak up about rape even in Europe and in the US, but you took on this monumental challenge in Japan.

S: 「勇敢だ」とよく言われるけれど、自分ではそう思っていないんです。記者会見の間も、色々と試してみた結果、この問題を可視化することは私の使命だと思っていました。それにもはや他の選択肢もなかったですし。友人や捜査官や弁護士の先生、私の周りに多くのヒーローも勇敢な人がたくさんいて、支えがあってここまでたどり着けた。彼らに出会えて、幸せだと思っています。



S: I often get told that what I did was very courageous, but I don’t think so myself. During the press conferences, although I’d thought about my experience from various different perspectives, I knew that it was my duty to speak out in order to bring this problem to light. I didn’t really have a choice, anyway. I had my friends, the investigator, my lawyer– all of these brave friends and heroes surrounding me. Without them, and their strong support, I wouldn’t have been able to get this far. I am so fortunate to have them in my life.

M: 幸せになれますか？

M: Do you think you will be happy?

S: もちろん。精神的なケアが必要だったり、公で話したことによって今まで当たり前にあった自分の東京での生活を失ってしまった感覚があるし、今もよく眠れない……でも、場所がどこであろうと居場所があって、人が好きで、食べることも飲むことも好き。素晴らしい人とおいしい食事があれば、とっても幸せですね。



S: Sure, I lost my everyday life I had in Tokyo, and I am sure that I will need psychological care. There are some difficult elements to face. I still have some trouble sleeping at night… but there are always places to be and belong. I love people, and I love to eat and drink. I will always be happy as long as I am sharing a delicious meal with the people I love.

Interview: Mie Kohiyama Photo: Justin Creedy Smith Translation: Reina Shimizu, Yoko Nagasaka Coordination: Michiyo Yamada

PROFILE

SHIORI ITO／Born in 1989, Shiori Ito studied journalism ＆ photography in New York. She is a journalist and a documentary filmmaker ; her work focuses mainly on social issues around the world. She is currently based in London. MIE KOHIYAMA／Born in Lyon, France. Journalist based in Paris. In 2015, her book, "le petit vélo blanc", was published by calmann-levy under the pseudonym Cecile b. This book discusses the post-traumatic amnesia she suffered from as a result of rape in childhood and her efforts to fight to change the current statute of limitation for child rape, child sexual abuse.

【ミエ・コヒヤマ、私の生き方】性犯罪から子どもたちを守る！

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