In light of the sexual abuse allegations against the late Johnny & Associates founder Johnny Kitagawa, former idols are calling for more action, submitting a petition with close to 40,000 signatures to ruling and opposition parties this week demanding a revision of the child abuse prevention law.
The online petition was set up on May 26 by three former idols who have come forward with accusations, including Yasushi Hashida, 37, Kauan Okamoto, 27, and Akimasa Nihongi, 39. As of Wednesday, the petition has garnered more than 40,000 signatures.
Revisions to the law could help prevent future cases of sexual abuse, the former Johnny’s idols told lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party and other parties.