A JAPANESE man who runs a massage parlour in Tokyo was arrested on charges of luring 12-year-old Thai girl into prostitution with the girl’s biological mother having left her there for sex work, Naewna newspaper quoted Japanese media as saying today (Nov. 7).
The girl arrived in Japan with her mother late June on a 15-day short stay visa. After that her mother took her to this massage parlour and taught her massage techniques.
Two weeks later she left Japan leaving her daughter to work at the parlour, where she slept in the parlour’s kitchen. She was also forced into prostitution.
Within a month, she was forced to serve over 60 clients, earning over 600,000 yen (120,000 baht). The money was split between the massage parlour owner and the girl’s biological mother.
By mid-September, the girl was unable to suffer any longer so decided to go to the Immigration Bureau in Tokyo to seek help, leading to the arrest of 51-year-old massage shop owner, Masayuki Hosono on Nov. 4.
He was charged with violating the Labour Standards Act, but it has not been revealed whether he admitted to the charges. She is the youngest foreign victim of human trafficking arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
Some media outlets said that the girl decided to file a report because she believed her mother would not come to pick her up and wanted to return to Thailand while being prepared to be arrested. The girl has now been taken into custody as a victim of human trafficking. Police, immigration officials, the Thai Embassy, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and other agencies are reportedly cooperating in this case.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department stated that this girl is the youngest human trafficking victim ever found, and branded it a horrific case that neglects human rights. They will continue to assist the girl to ensure her safe return to Thailand.
CAPTION:
A composite image of the suspect being arrested. Credit – Naewna
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