A gaffe-prone lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) admitted Thursday she had said women might make false reports of sexual violence — a remark that has sparked criticism as being insulting to victims, and a protest movement online.
LDP House of Representatives member Mio Sugita, who had denied making the remark, wrote in a blog post Thursday that she had said "Women can tell lies as much as they want," during a party gathering last Friday about the government's support program for sexual violence victims.
"I am sorry for offending people by giving the impression only women lie when lying is not restricted to a gender," she wrote, while reiterating that she had not intended to discriminate against women. Sugita also said she would not step down as a lawmaker.