Man gets suspended sentence for abusing rabbits on island

Serial killer in the making!

Ah so that’s how justice works here now - just "reflect" on your crimes and you’re good to go! Next time any of us feel like, say, torturing animals for fun, just make sure we think really hard about it afterward. Maybe write a poem. Or shed a single tear. Boom - absolution!

Yep, KICKING and STABBING defenseless rabbits is just a minor lapse in judgment. Not a big deal. I’m sure society’s safe now that this psycho has done some deep soul-searching. Let’s all clap for the judge who bravely decided that actual consequences might be a bit too mean.

Yeah nah, tge perp and the judge can get stuffed. How about 20+ years in solitary confinement instead? Give him plenty of time to reflect some more. Because letting someone this depraved off lightly just opens the door to worse crimes. If you can do that to helpless animals and walk, what’s the message? That the line only matters when the victim can scream in words?

This was cruelty - calculated and repeated. And if that doesn’t warrant a serious sentence, what does?!

A prison sentence, suspended or real isn't going to do any good. Apart from keeping him away from rabbits or other furry friends. Stabbing harmless rabbits for fun is a rather obvious indication that something is not quite right in his head. He needs "treatment" whether that is counseling or being locked in a padded cell for the rest of his life, I have no idea.

How can you let free such a person?

We see it time and time again - Japan’s "justice" system throwing someone in solitary for decades over intellectual property theft or underreporting their taxes, while offering nothing more an effective slap on the wrist for animal abusers and pedophiles.

This system is a JOKE. It’s backward. It’s nonsensically selective. And it’s setting the stage for something much worse.

How can you let free such a person?

HIROSHIMA

A court on Monday sentenced a man to one year in prison, suspended for three years, for abusing rabbits on an island in western Japan.

Yeah nah, tge perp and the judge can get stuffed. How about 20+ years in solitary confinement instead? Give him plenty of time to reflect some more. 

The fact that he’s doing hard time at all is a big step for the courts, as in this case the rabbits aren’t considered to be personal property or wild fauna. The rabbits on Okunoshima are actually considered to be pests, as they were left behind when a chemical weapons testing facility closed down after the war.

The fact that he’s doing hard time at all is a big step for the courts, as in this case the rabbits aren’t considered to be personal property or wild fauna. The rabbits on Okunoshima are actually considered to be pests

We have to be clear BDG: he’s NOT doing hard time - he received a suspended sentence. That means no jail, just a warning shot with NO follow-through.

As for the “pests” thing, these animals live in a space heavily marketed as Rabbit Island, visited by tourists precisely because the rabbits are tame, friendly, and beloved. The law may not classify them as wildlife or property, but that doesn’t make what he did any less sadistic or dangerous.

Would you be saying the same thing if someone was stabbing dogs in a park? Or a bloke mutilating neighborhood cats? The legal category of the victim doesn’t change the psychological profile of the offender. This wasn’t a someone stepping on a bug - it was a grown adult inflicting prolonged, intentional harm on trusting animals for his own sick gratification.

Ah so that’s how justice works here now - just "reflect" on your crimes and you’re good to go! Next time any of us feel like, say, torturing animals for fun, just make sure we think really hard about it afterward. Maybe write a poem. Or shed a single tear. Boom - absolution!

Yep, KICKING and STABBING defenseless rabbits is just a minor lapse in judgment. Not a big deal. I’m sure society’s safe now that this psycho has done some deep soul-searching. Let’s all clap for the judge who bravely decided that actual consequences might be a bit too mean.

*Yeah nah, tge perp and the judge can get stuffed. How about 20+ years in solitary confinement instead? Give him plenty of time to reflect some more. Because letting someone this depraved off lightly just opens the door to worse crimes. If you can do that to helpless animals and walk, what’s the message? That the line only matters when the victim can scream in words?*

This was cruelty - calculated and repeated. And if that doesn’t warrant a serious sentence, what does?!

There are things on which I disagree with you, but I think you have it absolutely right here. I hate the whole "he reflected on his conduct so we'll reduce his sentence" stuff. Any half decent actor can pretend to "reflect on their conduct".

The judge, Wataru Shimazaki, condemned the assault as malicious but said the defendant admitted to the charges and reflected on the act.

The judge is an idiot. This SOB should get a long sentence for abusing helpless animals like this. What a bastard .

We see it time and time again - Japan’s "justice" system throwing someone in solitary for decades over intellectual property theft or underreporting their taxes, while offering nothing more an effective slap on the wrist for animal abusers and pedophiles.

This system is a JOKE. It’s backward. It’s nonsensically selective. And it’s setting the stage for something much worse.

THIS!! Well said Jay!

There are things on which I disagree with you, but I think you have it absolutely right here. I hate the whole "he reflected on his conduct so we'll reduce his sentence" stuff. Any half decent actor can pretend to "reflect on their conduct".

Thanks for acknowledging the core issue here TG. You’re absolutely right: "reflection" used as some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card is absurd. Anyone with basic social awareness - or even just a decent acting ability - can fake remorse when it serves their interests. It’s PERFORMATIVE, not proof of rehabilitation.

In cases like this, where the CRUELTY is deliberate and prolonged, the response shouldn’t be leniency - it should be a firm statement that society won’t tolerate it.

We need real change. Because if the courts won’t draw the line on horrible crimes like this, abusers will just keep pushing it.

Jay, I am guessing the "reflection " was simply a word used by the perps lawyer with zero actual evidence by the person in Court.

Tokyo Guy

While I understand your sentiments, the law is law, and is meant to be unbiased to emotions.

I agree, this fellow is a potentially dangerous person, however; punishment can only be reactionary, and we can’t go imprisoning people for a crime that they may or may not commit. That becomes a human rights issue in itself.

Beer guy....mate...wrong on all counts.

Courts regularly speak in emotive ways when describing the actions of an offender on a victim.

Normal when discussing sex abuse, for example.

The offender here presumably pleaded guilty, so the comment " a crime they may or may not have committed " is meaningless.

Imprisonment is, I would think, on the Statute Books, for animal cruelty in Japan.

What is probably not available in sentencing is the range of options seen in other countries...like supervision by probation officer, a psychiatric assessment or order for treatment, community service orders etc.

Weekend imprisonment and home detention are also available in most western nations

At the least , this person should have been fined a lot of money and some sort of assessment been done on his mental state.

Deserves gallows..

There are animal protection laws in Japan, but they are a joke, a bad joke. The police rarely apply the laws and even if they do, which is unlikely and unusual, the courts rarely apply any punishment.

Ah so that’s how justice works here now - just "reflect" on your crimes and you’re good to go!

Would this "reflection" work if it was a foreign living in Japan?

Tokyo Guy

No one is doubting whether he abused rabbits or not. The point is, we can’t lock him up on decades on the assumption that he may commit more crimes in the future.

If the prosecution wants Tom make an emotional plea, they are free to sue for mental anguish and possible loss of revenue. But by and far the only emotional pleas in Japanese criminal courts is a plea for leniency “情緒酌量” due to the perpetrator showing remorse.

Beer guy....animals are silent victims....it seems to me that "emotion " is at the core of animal protection laws.

The state "feels " it is wrong to inflict suffering on a defenseless animal.

Not a lot of pure logic and rationality in this ....not like causing damage to a road or something.

And how do we know the perp showed remorse ?

Because his lawyer said he did ?

Thats why lawyers are called "mouthpeice " ....they say what the Court wants to hear whether there is any basis or not.

"My client is very, very remorseful, Your Honour "

See...its easy when you know how !

Tokyo Guy

Yes, I agree that animals must by law, be protected from unnecessary harm.

However, aside from animal abuse laws, Japanese law regards animals as property.

For example, if you accidentally run over someone’s dog with your car, you are only responsible to pay for the cost of getting a new dog.

If malicious intent can be proven, you may be prosecuted by the district attorney under the animal protection and abuse prevention laws, and sued in civil court for mental anguish inflicted.

Beer man...I promise this will be my last post on this....lol

Agree that you cant lock people up for what they might do....this pretty fundamental.

BUT....I have seen cases in Australia where sex offenders who have not done any "work " on their offending , attending counselling or similar, have their sentence completed, BUT they dont get released because various experts say the danger to the community is too great and outweighs the incarcerated persons right to release.

Very rare....but has happened.

In this case, the offender needs some sort of oversight ....these offences are an indicator of more serious crimes against people, often kids.

Aly RustomToday  08:05 am JST

The judge, Wataru Shimazaki, condemned the assault as malicious but said the defendant admitted to the charges and reflected on the act.

The judge is an idiot. This SOB should get a long sentence for abusing helpless animals like this. What a bastard .

More like a total cretin.

Rabbit meat is yummy tasty good food. I can still taste even now the way my grandma made it, with that thick gravy 40 years ago. Mmm Mmm Good!!!!!

But at the same time, the Rabbit island means that you leave those bunnies alone, amiright? Is it a sanctuary island? And physically abusing bunny rabbits like this is a sign that this guy at least has anger issues, or worse. A future psychopathic killer may be here.

Whether he has anger issues or is just plain a sick-o or even a disgusting brat, something is wrong with this boy! He needs to be put away, if nowhere else an asylum. He is dangerous and should not be allowed to do these things.

Today, rabbits. Tomorrow, people? Children? Elderly? Heaven forbid!

reflected on the act of sticking scissors in rabbits mouth

But not if he killed them and ate them

As much as I think this was a light sentence, I can sort of understand the thinking. The basic aim of a sentence must be that it will make the criminal refrain from doing the same thing again. To make the criminal a better person, give them a second chance and to through that make society safer. Revenge, though satisfying, dosn't do the crime undone and harsh punishments are not more effective at preventing recidivism.

The judge, Wataru Shimazaki, condemned the assault as malicious but said the defendant admitted to the charges and reflected on the act.

Well, there you go. Crucifixion? Ah, no, freedom...

So admitting and reflecting on the fact is alright is it? Like the American who voluntarily reported his accidental entry of a firearm and was arrested?

Jam scissors in his mouth and let him reflect on that.

This wasn’t some one-off event to simply be “reflected on” — Hotta went out of his way to board a ferry on multiple occasions with the intent of harming the island’s animals. I pray this sadism doesn’t escalate to humans, but if it does, the victim’s blood is on Judge Shimazaki’s hands…

grund above...all true as described EXCEPT this is a zero punishment sentence, there are "issues " that remain unexplored and society awaits the next manifestation of the sadism this person harbours.

You do not abuse rabbits. You eat them. I tried my best to catch one during my Air Force survival training in the cascades in mid Winter.