Japanese female student harassed on subway will be allowed to retake exam

(CLO) Female students who were harassed on their way to a university entrance exam in Japan last weekend will be allowed to take a replacement exam this weekend.

This is an unprecedented decision to deal with the increasing harassment from "chikan" - a Japanese term for perverts who often harass others on public transport.

Victims who reported the incident to police or railway staff will be allowed to sit for the supplementary exam. The announcement comes after several incidents of harassment on crowded trains carrying female students on their way to important exams.

Illustration: Unsplash

Experts say the timing of the attacks is not coincidental. Police say there have been numerous posts on social media by men sharing how they exploit the crowded conditions during exam season to harass students. They believe that female students, fearful of affecting their exams, will be less likely to react or report their behavior.

Sumie Kawakami, a lecturer at Yamanashi Gakuin University, commented that harassers often feel satisfied by secretly overwhelming and harassing women, not through overt violence but through psychological dominance.

Kawakami said harassers often target young, vulnerable women as a show of power – a sign of powerlessness in their personal lives.

This year, police have deployed more than 3,300 officers to train stations and carriages for surveillance, along with proactive measures such as monitoring suspects' online conversations and sending out warnings. Meanwhile, stations have increased staffing and launched public awareness campaigns.

A recent study found that 56.3% of women in Tokyo have been sexually harassed on trains, many of which occurred during the morning rush hour. Although the number of arrests for groping has dropped from 3,440 in 2014 to 2,254 in 2023, experts say it remains a serious problem.

Ngoc Anh (according to SCMP, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cac-nu-sinh-nhat-ban-bi-quay-roi-tren-tau-dien-ngam-se-duoc-phep-thi-lai-post331669.html