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On Oct 6, 2009, a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on the grounds of a Shinto shrine in Miyamae Ward, Kawasaki City. The rapist was never found.
The case had gone cold for the next 10 years until Oct 9, 2019, when DNA matching the suspect in this case was found when 38-year-old So Kurokawa of nearby Yokohama City was arrested on a completely unrelated charge. However, in a truly bitter stroke of bad luck, the statute of limitations for the rape had expired on Oct 5 –- only four days earlier.
And so, police were forced to let the suspect go at that time.
Refusing to let this slide, the police quickly took action and began investigating all of Kurokawa’s movements over the past 10 years, aware of a technicality in the Japanese law that states a statute of limitations is suspended whenever the suspect is not on Japanese soil.
This meant that time was of the essence, as they had already lost four days and had no idea if the suspect had ever gone abroad, let alone for how long.
In the end, they found that over the past 10 years he had stepped outside the country on a number of occasions totaling about two months overseas. This gave them ample time to swoop in and make the arrest on Nov 12. Kurokawa is currently denying the charges saying, “I don’t remember.”
With a last-minute move against a ticking clock, this arrest seems straight out of a TV show and many online felt the same.
“I remember hearing about the statute of limitations thing on a detective show, but never saw it in real life.”
“It’s disgusting how the person who committed the rape doesn’t even remember, while the victim has to remember their whole life.”
“Don’t they have to convict him within the extended statute of limitations too? That’s going to be tight.”
“I’m glad they caught him, but what’s the point of the statute of limitations in the first place?”
“This was in Detective Conan once.”
“What kind of creepy defense is, ‘I don’t remember’ supposed to be? Wouldn’t any normal innocent person just say ‘I didn’t do it,’ instead?”
“That happened in Final Cut with Kazuya Kamenashi!”
In the event that a conviction has to be made within the two-month extension, the DNA evidence and weak denial of the suspect should make it relatively easy. A successful ID by the victim will also help, but unfortunately cause her to revisit that dark time once again.
Source: NHK News Web, Kyodo News, Hachima Kiko
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2019/11/14/man-arrested-for-rape-4-days-after-the-statute-of-limitations-expired/
23 Comments
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simon g
Well done that person that thought outside the box. Now lock him up for the maximum possible as a) he denies it and b) he's had 10 yrs of freedom already.
Bugle Boy of Company B
That's an interesting twist to a statute of limitations!
Mocheake
Have to give credit where credit is due: great job by the police! They wanted their man and got him. Now, they need to go about getting the rape statute of limitations removed.
girl_in_tokyo
The statute of limitations for rape should not be just ten years. This is something Japan needs to change.
u_s__reamer
So many folks from Prince Andrew, Trump to this miserable rapist dish up the unbelievable claim that they "don't remember" the women they have used when everybody knows that a human lifetime is so short making it impossible to forget any of these encounters.
stormcrow
According to lawyers I've spoken with, the main reason for the statute of limitations is to prevent a legal log jam from occurring. However, one lawyer did tell me that she felt that there should not be any statute of limitations for child abuse cases due primarily to the sensitivity of a child's psychology and inability to understand that a crime has been committed against them at such an early age.
gogogo
Japan used to have a statute of limitations on murder of 20 years.
Speed
Also a statute of limitatation is set so you don't have cases going to trial with such faded memories by everyone involved while possibly someone's innocent life is at stake.
mmwkdw
Caught through DNA obtained from an annual Medical checkup ?
sandal
This man uses the reading Hajime for his first name.
WilliB
That is not a denial, that is just a creepy excuse. Human memory is faulty, and there some questions that can not be reasonably be answered. This is not one of them. If had committed such a violent crime, he would certainly know that he done it.
juminRhee
Either have statute of limitations for all crimes or don't for any. Shouldn't cherry pick which crimes get exempt.
WilliB
juminree:
Are you seriously claiming that all crimes are the same? Like violent rape being same as having 0.00001 gram of exctacy in your drawer? I am scratching my head...
juminRhee
WilliB:
If you have an issue with ecstasy or other drugs being illegal, you can, through democratic process, change the law.
juminRhee
Obviously, the punishments are different, so no not the same. Statute of limitations prevents prosecution beyond a certain date. That should be uniform.
Strangerland
Why?
Strangerland
Which constitutional rights?
It makes sense - it means a person can't escape the country and wait out the clock.
Serrano
Kurokawa is currently denying the charges saying, “I don’t remember.”
No problem, his DNA remembers.
statute of limitations
There shouldn't be any such thing.
juminRhee
Serrano: "his DNA remembers."
You Sir, would make a vibrant lawyer.
smithinjapan
Phew! There was an extension. I was sure I was going to read another Joji Obara story (or whatever his name was) who walks out, laughs, and admits guilt knowing he cannot be prosecuted any longer for his crimes because of the ridiculous statute of limitations of so many things.
Luddite
There should not be statutes of limitation for any crime.