Japan mayor defends councilwoman's ouster over assault claim

mayor of a Japanese hot springs resort town on Monday denied sexual assault allegations by a former assemblywoman and defended her dismissal, saying he wanted to protect town’s reputation.

buta Kuroiwa, mayor of Kusatsu, a famous hot springs resort rth of Tokyo, said at a news conference that Shoko Arai h to be voted out of office because she wrongfully accused him of sexual assault, endangering town because of its heavy dependence on tourism.

Arai, only woman in Kusatsu town assembly, accused Kuroiwa in an online book in vember 2019 of forcing her to have sex with him in his office in 2015.

A month later, town assembly voted to expel Arai, but decision was overturned by Gunma prefectural government.

Arai lost her seat in a Dec. 6 town referendum by a vote of 2,542 to 208.

Kuroiwa on Monday called Arai’s allegation “100% a lie and fabrication” and said re was t even room for an argument over wher re was consensual sex. “re was absolutely thing at all,” he said.

Kuroiwa is seeking a criminal investigation of Arai as well as defamation dams in a civil suit. He accused her of making false allegations against him to pressure him to change a decision over a hot springs policy.

case is seen as an example of how women who raise ir voices over alleged sexual assaults are often treated in Japan. It is extremely rare for victims of assault to go public.

Kuroiwa said recall referendum was a difficult but unavoidable choice. Experts say holding a referendum designed to expel one side of a sexual assault dispute is questionable.

Arai says she stands by her allegation. She said in a statement this month that referendum was initiated by assemblymen trying to expel her, rar than by residents. She said town's reputation is being hurt by referendum, t by her allegation against mayor.

Arai declined to comment Monday in response to Kuroiwa's news conference, saying she would have to consult her lawyer. So far she has t taken any legal action against mayor. She is expected to tell her side of story in a separate news conference later this week.