Thirteen men who have been accused of acts of molestation on trains have formed a self-help group in Tokyo.

Three of the group's members have been acquitted of molestation charges, while another was arrested but never indicted.

Another is preparing to appeal after being convicted, while the remaining eight are still on trial.

The group is aiming to support those who are trying to clear their names, as well as their families. It is also seeking to ensure that investigations are conducted fairly and to lobby railway operators to tackle the issue of false accusations of molestation on crowded trains.

The group's members all said they were detained for at least three weeks, with one member stating he was held for 300 days.

One member said at the group's first meeting on Monday: "Just because I was standing beside a female 'victim,' I was made into a criminal.

"A private citizen is powerless in front of the police, prosecutors or courts. I hope to help people in similar circumstances by uniting and fighting with them."

The group is led by Mitsuo Okita, a 60-year-old employee of a Tokyo firm. Okita was arrested in September 1999 after a woman whom he had asked to refrain from using her mobile phone on a train claimed he had molested her.

He was detained for 21 days before investigators concluded there was no firm evidence to support any charges.