A former Japanese mayor who resigned over 99 sexual harassment allegations has been elected as a town councillor, officials said on Monday, sparking anger and shock online.
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Hideo Kojima stepped down in March last year after an official investigation accused him of incidents of harassment in the town in central Gifu region, including touching a colleague’s breasts and buttocks.
An official in the town said Kojima had been elected, with the town website showing he came in second among the 10 candidates who won seats.
“It proves residents trust me,” Kojima, 75, told a local TV network on Monday, and warned: “Don’t ever mention [sexual harassment claims] again.”
Online users expressed shock over the election results.
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“So voters in the town don’t care about employees who were sexually harassed? Shame on you,” one user said on X.