Police in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, said Thursday they have arrested a 46-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault. The suspect, Toshihito Yoneyama, a company employee residing in Minami-Alps, had previously been convicted twice for similar offenses and was released from jail in February.
According to police, Yoneyama is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s as she slept in her one-room apartment between 4:30 and 5:20 a.m. on Aug 28, Sankei Shimbun reported.
Kofu police said Yoneyama was first arrested when he was 24 years old in 1997 for multiple robberies and rape. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. When he was 35, Yoneyama was apprehended again for a parole violation and was convicted of rape and burglary. He was incarcerated for another 10 years.
After completing his sentence, Yoneyama was hired by a company in the Minami-Alps. The company that employed him is actively involved in a national employment project that offers jobs to ex-cons.
© Japan Today
26 Comments
Login to comment
JJ Jetplane
Clearly he prefers life on the inside. He wants no part of freedom. He enjoys the food and solitude. I would be happy if the justice system simply gave a loser like him life in prison.
Do the hustle
Three strikes! Life in prison!
taj
Why did he only get 10 years for his second conviction? I sure hope he gets life this time!
Toshihiro
repeat offenders like this are better locked up
smithinjapan
Well, sounds like he needs life this time.
Kazumichi
Castrating him will save us some more tax than keeping him in prison.
Tawkeeo
Some people really never learn...
Omachi
Give him 20 years this time. When he finally gets out he will be too old to do it.
taj
He should have got 20 years the second time and should get 30 this time.
quercetum
This is could have been a feel good story but Yoneyama didn’t follow the narrative.
Norman Goodman
I am thinking the guy might not be evil...he might be mentally disturbed and/or developmentally challenged. He might belong more in a psychiatric hospital for life rather than a jail cell. I am sure many will default on trust of the system to identify such people but I simply don't trust the system.
But yeah...he might just be evil....sure.
WilliB
So we are talking about rape here, and not some of chikan stuff? I hope he gets put away for a long time, since he clearly not willing to change.
juminRhee
Anyone who hurts another and enjoys it and/Or feels no empathy is mentally disturbed. Wouldn't that make all of the prisons, except those holding drug users, into mental facilities?
lostrune2
It's just coincidence, officer!
Do the hustle
its not about learning. It’s about rehabilitation, which is not part of Japanese incarceration. This creep was paroled. How and why are beyond belief. He is a repeat offender sexual predator. His three strikes are up. He should never be released from prison.
commanteer
The track record for these companies employing ex-cons is very impressive, with very little recidivism compared to leaving these guys to their own devices. They provide a very valuable service to society.
It's not 100% of course, and sex offenders are the most difficult to rehabilitate because they have an emotional disorder driven by reproductive instinct, which is very hard to change.
Serrano
Castrating him will save us some more tax than keeping him in prison.
That would take care of the sexual assaults. But what about the burglaries?
Heck, it might take care of them too. Let's try it and try to save the taxpayers a slew of money.
theFu
Would he prefer physical or chemical castration?
No female should ever need worry about this person again.
Luddite
This man is a danger to women, imprisonment is not a deterrent, so he should get life. Throw away the key.
I keep saying this, but Japan needs a sex offenders register.
Brian Wheway
Electric chair? it would save a whole heap of tax payer money. he's simply 1: not learnt from his previous incarcerations 2: he's a menace to woman 3: its clear he's not be rehabilitated or never will.
Gaijinjland
Company employee? Never understood why English media in Japan always uses that term. You are either employed or unemployed. Not really pertinent to the story. I'd be more interested in knowing the name of the company that specializes in employing ex cons.
commanteer
macv
wonderful J justice at work
shogun36
"hmmmm, he's done it twice, he'll do his time, then we will let him out. I think he will learn his lesson then and then never do it again."
(one day after he finishes his upcoming sentence.......)
"oh you're back again? I am quite surprised, I would've guessed you could be a good boy now."
ahhhh the ignorance in the Japanese justice system.
Zack
the incompetent system is the reason why all those young woman suffered rape and assault and will suffer a permanent scar