crime

21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting college student in car

28 Comments

Police in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assaulting a 21-year-old female college student in his car.

According to police, the incident occurred in a downtown area in Kusatsu City in the early hours of Oct 28, Sankei Shimbun reported. Naohide Maeda, a college student, is accused of approaching the woman as she walked along a sidewalk. The woman told police that when she refused Maeda’s advances, he grabbed her arm and forced her into his miniwagon that was parked nearby.

Police said the woman told them that Maeda then groped the lower part of her body before letting her go.

Police said that Maeda, who was arrested on Monday, has denied the charge and quoted him as saying the woman consented to what they did. The two reportedly did not know one another.

© Japan Today

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28 Comments

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I believe in the presumption of innocence of a person before throwing a book.

Thinking a 21yo university student would readily consent to being groped by a complete stranger so she could accuse him later of sexual assault really stretches the imagination. Of course a fair trial must be held, but the situation clearly is against his explanation.

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Rodney

If I was her, I would bite him. Then there is a definite mark that it wasn’t consensual.

There's a very good chance the authorities here would view that as proof it was consensual.

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I was 14 years old and it was summer vacation about 3 pm. I was returning home alone when a man pulled over and asked me to get in the car and he spoke very aggressively towards me. I ran out and got home safely. I never told anyone because I was afraid they wouldn't believe me and the stress it would cause. I thought they would blame me for being alone. Today I know what should have been done and it makes me sad to see that I wasn't wrong with the thought that they wouldn't believe me because of some comments here. Why would anyone want to go through the stress of reporting and exposing themselves like that?

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People who rated the comment below that is has more negative than positive clicks... Blows my mind! So obviously true observation made by name_not_important

name_not_important Nov. 23  07:18 am JST

Horrific for this girl, and to make it worse, he denies it. A very brave young woman to come forth.

Less than 40% of women (I'd say less) never report sexual assault in Japan (more than half that of most Western nations).

There are elements of Japanese society that encourage sexual assault (the ancient laws, manga, porn, the sexualisation of young girls, TV etc.). Radical change is needed to better protect Japanese women.

There are a few support sites (thanks Girl in Tokyo).

If anyone knows of more I'd like to know:

http://spring-voice.org/english/

https://en.opentheblackbox.jp/

https://sarc-tokyo.org/

https://lhj.jp/english/

https://www.flowerdemo.org/

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girl_in_tokyoToday  12:27 pm JST

Why do so many men rush to defend other men who commit rape and sexual assault?

Oh, right:

She didn't know the guy. He was a stranger. Why would she (or anyone) want to have sex with a stranger, unless she was 'walking the streets' which she obviously wasn't. And this 'you know that you want it (esp. by the way you're dressed) BS is just that. An excuse for abuse.

And there's no justifying this assaultive behavior or attitude from guys like this one. None.

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If I was her, I would bite him. Then there is a definite mark that it wasn’t consensual.

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painkillerToday 10:32 am JST

It is part of the facts the man said the woman consented.

The woman said she did not know him, and that he sexually assaulted her. What evidence do you have that she is lying, and what impetus would she have to lie?

We know the perpetrator has a very clear impetus to lie; but there is no clear logical reason why the woman would lie.

Do you think she was walking home from work, saw this random guy on the street, and decided to accuse him of sexual assault for fun? She would have to be mentally ill - and even if that were the case, do you think that the police wouldn't be able to discern she was mentally ill?

If it turns out she did consent, then naturally the accused would be determined to be innocent.

It has been known to happen in Japan.

In general, women don't lie about sexual assault.

Sexual assault is very very common and is under-reported.

Why do you question her narrative but not his, when we all know that sexual assault is common?

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name_not_importantToday 07:18 am JST

Less than 40% of women (I'd say less) never report sexual assault in Japan (more than half that of most Western nations).

FYI, the stat most often put out there is that only 4% of rapes are reported in Japan.

It comes from a book written by a sex crimes prosecutor, and has been widely quoted. I believe it's also on several of the websites I gave you.

While this stat specifies rape, I'd say even fewer sexual assaults of other kinds, such as what this girl endured, are ever reported. I only know a couple of girls who said they went to the police to report sexual assault. And I don't blame them - the two times I went to the police box to report groping I was told, in so many words, "too bad, just go home." The other girl I'm thinking of told me she reported a flasher three times - same guy, same place, same situation, and the police said, "Don't go near him."

They literally just do not care. When I read these stories here, which happen about three or four times a week, I'm often surprised the police bothered. I suppose they must investigate SOME incidents, but pick and chose on their own which ones to care about.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

I've recently started looking into this matter since I believe that it's not just coincidental, and have found that there's a lot of Japanese Manga (online) that makes this type of thing seem like the norm.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why do so many men rush to defend other men who commit rape and sexual assault?

Oh, right:

I think judging from some of the comments here, many men, including police officers in Japan, think sexual assault is no big deal, it's just touching and something they may have done to women without consent themselves.

Pretty clear answer.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

If she consented, then they knew each other.

You are concluded something that the victim says is not true, what evidence do you have she is lying?

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

99% (ball-parking) of Japanese confess to their crimes. He denies it. Not saying he’s innocent but innocent until proven guilty. Really easy for a girl to get a guy arrested, not so easy if the roles are reversed. Women are sexual aggressors too and are never reported. I was violated by a girl at a party in Japan long long time ago. I was drunk and out of it. I told my friends the next day and they were like “Nice, she’s hot. What’s the problem?” Never bothered with the police as it seemed useless.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

I believe in the presumption of innocence of a person before throwing a book.

Let the investigation do it’s course.

If they find that the man is lying then he should get a sentence but also psychiatric help.

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Police said that Maeda, who was arrested on Monday, has denied the charge and quoted him as saying the woman consented to what they did.

It is part of the facts the man said the woman consented.

If it turns out she did consent, then naturally the accused would be determined to be innocent.

It has been known to happen in Japan.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

GaijinjlandToday 12:12 pm JST

99% (ball-parking) of Japanese confess to their crimes. He denies it. Not saying he’s innocent but innocent until proven guilty.

That 99% figure is something you just made up. What you mean is Japan has a 99% conviction rate. That doesn't mean all of them confessed.

Women don't randomly chose men off the street and accuse them of sexual assault.

Really easy for a girl to get a guy arrested, not so easy if the roles are reversed. Women are sexual aggressors too and are never reported. I was violated by a girl at a party in Japan long long time ago. I was drunk and out of it. I told my friends the next day and they were like “Nice, she’s hot. What’s the problem?” Never bothered with the police as it seemed useless.

Funny how every time there is a story about sexual assault on a woman a man has to come barging in to defend the man and attempt to paint women in a bad light.

I wonder why that is?

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

girl_in_tokyo

Since you're always defensive about rape cases, how about this?

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/06/06/national/male-sex-crime-victims/

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

girl_in_tokyo

Women don't randomly chose men off the street and accuse them of sexual assault.

hahahahahahahahahaha! Yeah sure! Because ALL women are innocent and know that if they falesly accuse a man of rape the law is automatically on their side until a proper investigation is done, right? But......um......

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/05/anna-borkowski-accused-three-men-of-rape-police-stopped-her.html

https://www.theroot.com/white-woman-who-falsely-accused-2-black-football-player-1828591038

https://www.essex.police.uk/news/essex/news/news/2022/september/westcliff-woman-jailed-over-false-rape-claims/

I can go on. If theu can do this, I know there are cases where women accuse random men fo rape because he in somehow made her angry.

As usual, your "calims" are always baseless and something made up to propell/fuel the "feminist propaganda!"

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

girl_in_tokyoToday  12:25 pm JST

The woman said she did not know him, and that he sexually assaulted her.

And the man said she consented. His version is presented as a fact. That’s the way it works.

What evidence do you have that she is lying, and what impetus would she have to lie? 

Where did I mention evidence of her lying? A strange extrapolation.

We know the perpetrator has a very clear impetus to lie; but there is no clear logical reason why the woman would lie.

Who is we? The police? The prosecutor? The judge and jury? Which all exist because in fact we don’t know if the alleged perpetrator lied or had a clear impetus to lie.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

name_not_importantToday  03:24 pm JST

When someone is accused of a crime like rape, murder, theft, robbery, fraud or whatever it is, do you automatically assume that the victim is possibly lying? No, nobody does that.

the accused is presumed innocent. It is irrelevant to what anyone thinks. That’s the fact of how a legal system works despite your attempt to change the argument into something based in sexism.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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