Police in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at an internet cafe in June last year.
Police said the suspect, Ryusei Morita, a company employee, has denied the charge and quoted him as saying he and the girl engaged in sex with her consent and that he didn't force her, Kyodo News reported. Police said he also claimed not to know the girl’s age.
According to police, Morita contacted the girl on an online dating site and they agreed to meet at an internet cafe in Chuo Ward at around noon on June 18. Morita took the girl to a private room where they remained until about 4 p.m. The girl told police he ordered her to take off her clothes and allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Later, the girl told her father who called police. Morita was arrested last week after police read conversations he had with the girl on the Line messaging app.
Originally, the girl had asked a friend to go with her to meet Morita but her friend declined, saying that it looked scary, so the girl went alone.
© Japan Today
20 Comments
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Alongfortheride
Fault on both sides here
Shadows of the Rising Sun
Based on the information provided, it would not be rational to conclude that the girl was at fault in this crime. The girl was only 13 years old, which means she was legally a minor and incapable of providing consent for sexual activity. Additionally, the fact that she initially asked a friend to accompany her to the meeting but went alone after her friend declined suggests that she may have been naive or unaware of the potential danger she was putting herself in, rather than being at fault for the assault.
The responsibility for the crime lies entirely with the 21-year-old adult, Ryusei Morita, who (allegdely) engaged in sexual activity with a minor without her consent and in violation of Japanese law. The fact that Morita claimed not to know the girl's age does not absolve him of responsibility, as individuals engaging in sexual activity with others should take reasonable steps to ensure that their partners are of legal age. Additionally, the girl's age should have been evident from her appearance and behaviour.
Mr Kipling
Well, 99.9% on the perverts side. The girl probably should have known better to meet strange men but just a kid.
Yharnam Resident
She can't consent, she's a minor.
Saying you didn't know her age just makes you look even more irresponsible, terrible excuse.Diddling kids is wrong. There's really no way around it, nor any justification.
grund
I wonder why it took the police 10 months before they even looked at their Line chat history.
wallace
The girl is the victim.
wallace
Rape of a minor.
owzer
(wistful sigh)
Yamada Taro
Rape isn't a crime in Japan when the rapist can just pay the victim to drop the charges so they can rape again. How many times has "Mr Keio" gotten off rape charges just by paying the victim? In most countries when you break the law, money can't buy freedom. A judicial system is in place for a reason, to protect the people.
TokyoLiving
Pathetic loser, go to jail..
toolonggone
No, legally and morally the fault is on the side of the asailant. The victim is a child and children cannot consent to sex, particularly with an adult.
Disgusting and disturbing comments such as yours are a large reason as to why victims of sexual assault don't come forward. It shouldn't take you having a sister, wife or daughter to see how abhorent the assailant's actions were, just a little human compassion should do the trick.
Jonathan Prin
He can have sex with a 16 years ago girl (rule of 5 years difference).
He is excited, she says she is 16, what should he do ? Force her to proof of age while it does not even exist in Japan Lol.
Of course wisdom shall tell him to stop but instinct of reproduction takes over.
Men and women get excited and forget basics. Rule of nature.
She regrets and tell her father.
Father should have punished her severely. Since when do 13 year old girl seek strangers for affairs, even if it would have been for fun ? Never. Parent's responsibility and authority over his child to blame.
I have two daughters and I have warned them over issues they may be caught by.
toolonggone
More (child) victim blaming. Gross.
Strangerland
I agree, uou have to wonder how people like that function in society.
Jonathan Prin
Having compassion has nothing to do with facts. Of course I feel for the damage done, but playing with fire one gets burnt, that is how you develop. Article mentions he believed she was not underage and she engaged on a dating site.
Strangerland
She was 13. He's lying.
wallace
Even if he thought she was 16 years and then she wasn't it's still a crime of child rape. He ordered her to remove her clothing, forced.
girl_in_tokyo
Jonathan PrinToday 05:27 am JST
No grown men should be trying to have sex with 16 year old girls!
What is so funny about child rape that you type "LOL"? And no, he should not ask her for proof of age - he should not seek out underage girls at all!
Are you saying that grown men have an instinct to rape underage girls?
She is not a woman - she is a CHILD.
She is a CHILD.
She did not seek a stranger for an affair. She thought she was meeting someone to go on a date, and when you are 13 that means eating ice cream and holding hands! What do you not understand about "She is a CHILD"?
You warned your daughters, but then act as if this young girl is somehow at fault that her parents failed in their duty to warn her. Don't you think it is the PARENTS who should be punished for failing their daughter?
Debora Jennison
consenting age in japan was raised from 13 to 16 in june 2023. perp missed getting away with it by about a year. ......... there is only one person to blame here and that is the 21 year old male.
Strangerland
The age of consent has been 18 in all prefectures for years. These laws are in effect alongside the federal law, meaning the age of consent is 18.
No, it was more than that.
Yes.