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Osaka police arrest men for forcing 13-year-old girls to work at hostess club

Police have been cracking down on the employment of underage girls at parlors in the Kyobashi area of Osaka
Police have been cracking down on the employment of underage girls at parlors in the Kyobashi area of Osaka (osakamachiawase.com)

OSAKA (TR) – Two men were arrested on suspicion of forcing two 13-year-old girls to work at a specialty hostess club, police said.

Daisuke Maki, the 30-year-old manager of Stylish Bar Raffine, a so-called “girl’s bar” located in Miyakojima Ward, and an 18-year-old former worker were arrested on suspicion of violating the Labor Standards Act, the Yomiuri Shimbun reports (May 20).

A police statement said the two suspects are charged with forcing the two girls to serve men despite knowing they were both 13 years old in their first year of junior high school. Both suspects are denying the charges, claiming they have “no recollection” of the allegations.

A girl’s bar is licensed as a drinking establishment but offers services nearly equivalent to that of an adult-entertainment club.

The two girls were reportedly forced to wear China dresses and work from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Since the spring of last year, police have investigated the bar in question along with six other affiliated establishments, and took 23 boys and girls under 18 into custody, according to the Asahi Shimbun (may 21). One of them was a junior high school student.

Police plan to investigate the affiliated establishments for suspected labor law violations.