Harassment leads to review of support service for abuse victims

Unable to prevent harassment from louts on the street, the Tokyo metropolitan government instructed a charity to halt its mobile bus support sessions for abused teenage girls, citing safety concerns.

Government welfare officials said on March 20 that Colabo’s free drop-in support session scheduled for March 22 should be held in a different manner to protect the young women.

The charity currently cannot provide a safe environment where the girls can seek support with confidence, the officials said.

Colabo supports young victims of sexual and domestic abuse. Its mobile Bus Cafe sessions provide advice and basic necessities, including food and clothes, to victims.

Commissioned by the metropolitan government, Colabo sends the bus to Kabukicho, one of the largest nightlife districts in Japan, every other week.

Since 2022, the Bus Cafe activities have been disrupted by a group of men who shout obscenities at the girls and take their photos without consent.

In a statement issued on March 20, Colabo urged the metropolitan government to support the continuation of the Bus Cafe project and to prevent the disruptions from derailing support for the girls.

However, metropolitan officials said the government does not have the authority to interfere with and stop the disruptive behavior, but police are aware of the situation.

While acknowledging the importance of the Bus Cafe’s role, metropolitan officials said the current situation makes it difficult for the project to be helpful because ensuring safety is part of the work commissioned to Colabo.

Colabo stressed that the Bus Cafe should be open every day rather than every other week because it offers help to as many as 50 women a day.

It said that without the service, the girls have nowhere to turn to for help.

The Tokyo District Court on March 14 ordered one of the obnoxious men to stay away from the bus.

The court order against the individual doesn’t apply if the bus travels elsewhere, Colabo said.