NHK apologizes for mishandling staff sexual assault case and PTSD fallout

In April 2025 a NHK employee reported that a program participant had sexually assaulted her, causing severe stress and leading to a diagnosis of post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a period of leave. The employee requested a transfer to a different department, which NHK denied. In May 2025 NHK formed an external investigation committee that spent about a year interviewing witnesses and reviewing the case. On 5 August 2026 the committee confirmed the assault, noted that NHK’s response was inadequate, that special accommodation for reassignment was refused, and that risk‑management procedures were lacking. NHK President Inoue Kiichiro publicly apologized, saying the incident and the subsequent handling “had a serious impact on the employee’s career” and pledged corrective measures. No names of the alleged perpetrator were disclosed to protect privacy.