Photo/Illutration DJ Soda posted on Aug. 14 that she was sexually harassed by audience members when she approached fans. (Captured from DJ Soda’s account of X, formerly Twitter)

OSAKA--A music festival organizer filed a criminal complaint against three audience members on Aug. 21 after South Korean performer DJ Soda reported on social media that she was groped at the event.

The organizer submitted the complaint to the Osaka prefectural police on charges of indecency without consent and assault, although the three suspects remain unidentified. The police have accepted the complaint, according to investigative sources.

DJ Soda performed at Music Circus’23 on Aug. 13, the last day of the three-day event held in Sennan, Osaka Prefecture.

The day after the event, DJ Soda posted photos on her X (formerly Twitter) account with the message, “When I approached fans as usual at the end of my performance, some people suddenly sexually harassed me by touching my chest.”

According to the complaint, one male and one female audience members are accused of touching DJ Soda’s breasts when she descended the stage to interact with fans and approached the barrier separating her from the audience.

Another man allegedly grabbed her right arm, the complaint said.

“I was so shocked and scared that my hands are still shaking,” she posted. “In my 10 years as a DJ, I have never experienced such harassment during a performance.”

Osaka-based TryHard Japan, which organized the event, spoke about its decision to file the complaint at a news conference on Aug. 21.

"More than DJ Soda's intentions, as the organizer, we cannot tolerate criminal acts," the event organizer said. 

After DJ Soda’s post, some people on social media blamed her for the assault because of the outfit she had been wearing.

She responded, “No matter what I wear, there’s no justification for sexual harassment and assault.”

Both the company and DJ Soda said in a joint statement, “Defamatory and discriminatory comments have been seen on social media, and we will take strict legal action if necessary.”

(This article was written by Eriko Kai, Rikako Takai and Satoshi Tazoe.)

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