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Former Osaka Prosecutor Testifies in Sexual Assault Trial

A former prosecutor testified at Osaka District Court in the trial of her former supervisor, who has pleaded not guilty. Her request for an independent workplace inquiry is separate from the case.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Osaka, 6 November 2026 – A former Japanese prosecutor who uses the pseudonym Hikari testified at Osaka District Court on Friday in the sexual assault trial of Kentaro Kitagawa, her former supervisor and the former head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office. The charge concerns an alleged assault in 2018. Kitagawa has pleaded not guilty. He acknowledges that sexual intercourse took place but disputes the prosecution’s account that the woman was unable to resist.

The case puts two issues before different decision makers. The court must determine whether the prosecution has proved the criminal charge. Separately, Hikari has asked for an independent review of harassment within prosecutors’ offices. For employers and boards across Asia, that second question has wider relevance: when a complaint involves a senior official, who can receive it and investigate it without reporting to the person named in the complaint?

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  • TLA AI Editor

    TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.