Rape is among the most abhorrent of crimes, and yet too often it is the victims who are left feeling like criminals. If it is still very difficult for victims in Western countries to make their voices heard, things may be harder still in Japan.
Australian Catherine Jane Fisher came up against the Japanese legal system after being raped by an American serviceman near Yokosuka in 2002. Following her report of the ordeal to the Kanagawa police, Fisher then endured 12 hours of interrogation without being offered sustenance or medical attention.
Fisher, a resident of Japan for 35 years, has refused to stay silent, using her horrific experience as a catalyst to work for change here. While her immediate reaction at the lack of support available to her was to leave, she ultimately decided to stay and become an advocate for change.