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© KYODOSymbol of Japan #MeToo movement again awarded damages in rape case
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Asiaman7
Or “Symbol of Japan #MeToo movement ordered to pay damages over unfounded drugging allegation”
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
Why not call it what it is, rape? Noriyuki raped her.
Mat
Would it not simply be easier to NOT have sex with someone currently unconscious? Would that be something that we as a species could hold ourselves to as a standard of decency? Something to strive for to elevate us over the other animals on the planet?
Is it actually too much to ask?
Haaa Nemui
Possible he “helped” an intoxicated person to his room when she became intoxicated at dinner.
Asiaman7
Exactly. An intoxicated partner can’t give consent.
BroJob Biggs
In Japan we call it the #Mewtoo movement
Haaa Nemui
Being drugged is not intoxication?
Haaa Nemui
You’re correct that that isn’t usual.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
And I'd hazard a guess that one doesn't normally force themselves on others as they sleep or unconscious.
Haaa Nemui
And? It’s still possible. It’s highly likely that he “helped” her to his room or to her room when she was intoxicated. What you think is not usual is irrelevant.
Haaa Nemui
The court disagrees.
Also, this is Japan, where people often drink and get intoxicated during dinners related to business activities. That is actually not unusual at all.
Alfie Noakes
What this Kyodo story entirely fails to mention is that an arrest warrant was issued for Yamaguchi but was pulled by one Itaru Nakamura, the acting chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Investigative Division at the time:
"Itaru Nakamura is a more important figure than his title as an acting police chief might suggest. He is also a former political secretary to Cabinet Minister Yoshihide Suga and a friend of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He immediately moved the investigation from the original police department, Takanawa PD, to the police headquarters so that it was under his control.
The prosecutor who had signed off on the arrest warrant was taken off the case. The new detectives handling it drove Shiori Ito to a lawyer to convince her to make a settlement with the accused and drop charges, a highly unusual move."
http://www.japansubculture.com/shioris-full-statement-on-her-ordeal/
Where is Itaru Nakamura now? Why, he's only the head of the NPA, in other words Japan's top copper. He was given the job by Suga last year.
Imagine being able to avoid criminal prosecution for rape because the Prime Minister is your friend. Imagine becoming head of the police for facilitating that, and because the old and new Prime Ministers are your friends.
karakaze
Those in the comments accusing her of lying should read up on the actual details of the case. A taxi driver testified that Ito appeared to be severely intoxicated but asked to be dropped off at her home before passing out in the cab. Yamaguchi then told the driver to take them both to his hotel, where he basically dragged her out of the cab. There was also security camera footage showing Yamaguchi dragging the incapacitated Ito to his hotel room. The problem is that Japanese law only recognizes "rape" if the victim physically resists. Obviously an unconscious person cannot do that, so in that case it is considered a different crime, "sexual intercourse without consent."
HBJ
Nuff said. Friends in high places again. Abe again.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
Lmao that's not what the court found. Soo, there's that.
Bob Fosse
If you read the article conveniently attached to the headline you’ll see 2 court decisions in favour of Ms. Ito.
The final paragraph may also hold some relevance.
purple_depressed_bacon
You don't need "intimate interaction" to initiate sex or commit rape. Japan needs to get serious about sexual crimes - an intoxicated individual cannot consent to sex. It doesn't matter what state the victim is in - if they are unconscious; if they say no but the perp still continues, it's rape.
isoducky
So wish we had a concept of “offsetting penalties” in the legal system. Ito and Yamaguchi both made mistakes, and the judicial system has most definitely not done their job here.
Moskollo
I defy anyone to watch her bbc documentary and not support her claims. She’s fighting for a better, safer world for all girls/women in japan and she should be commended and supported by all. Gambate Ito san..
PTownsend
women being assaulted and/or abused is certain posters will go straight to victim blaming.
And unsurprisingly it's many of the "my freedom" over' everyone else's" posting their "bullying is fine as long as it's someone else being bullied" screeds, while pushing a pro-authoritarian agenda, and supporting political conmen saying "grab 'em wherever you want to'.
Johansawada
She definitely gets my support ! send a message to those rapists out there who thinks they can get their way with their victims!
Derek Grebe
Excuse me?
The penalty for drugging and raping a woman is a fine?
Did I miss something here?
Coulda been
Senior position does not always equate to privilege. Opportunistic predator who can't face the music. No doubt crawled to his influential mates arguing "she led me on." And he attracts sympathy from the stereotype, Japanese macho men - who would have thought?
rainyday
This part of the decision is pretty messed up if you think about it just for a second.
What the court found was that yes, he in fact did rape her. BUT despite the fact that he did indeed rape her it is nonetheless going to order her to pay him money because she was mistaken in one detail of her (otherwise completely true) allegation of rape.
Donald Seekins
"Ito has said she believes Yamaguchi's close ties with then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, about whom he has written a best-seller, might have discouraged prosecutors from pursuing the case."
In Japan's political rice paddy, there are some nasty vipers lurking. One of the worst is Shinzo Abe.
Yubaru
You dont know much about Japan do you?
JRO
Every Japanese dinner meeting I ever had ended up worse than any high school house party, half the group left behind on the asphalt as we went from 二次会 to 三次会
Baradzed
Paying damages is ok, but how about jail time? What is the message from the judge to ordinary rapists in this country?
Spitfire
What a true hero she is.
If there is a such a thing as karma those three men and especially Abe have got a whole world of trouble heading their way.
miss_oikawa
At least he was "murdered socially"
That's progress in Japan.
Otherwise, a 3 million yen fine for rape?? That's just an expensive prostitute.
smithinjapan
She is actually a very valid symbol of the MeToo movement in Japan, a nation that ranks near dead-last in gender equality, and very poorly on human rights -- the judge ordered her to pay her rapist, and he has seen NO punishment outside of being able to sell books, be buddies with Abe (also always let off the hooks for potential crimes), and being able to appeal any order himself to pay damages. The man should be locked up and chemically castrated.
Richard Gallagher
The apologists for a rapist, should examine the actual facts. And consider not only the facts, but they are essentially besmirching the reputation of a woman who was raped by a very powerful individual, who was able to manipulate the legal system to his benefit with the assistance of powerful individuals, including both the former and then current Prime Ministers. To call it corrupt isn't even close.
Prior to passing out in a shared cab, Ito had requested to be taken to her home. After Ito passed out, Yamaguchi, instructed the driver to take the unconscious Ito to his hotel. Where he consequently raped her in his hotel room, while she was unconscious.
Once charged, Yamaguchi used his connections in high places - the head of the police and intimate associations with Suga and Abe to de-rail the investigation. The arrest warrant was pulled. The case was shunted to police headquarters. New detectives assigned.
ReynardFox
Its not other people’s job to do your research for you. Maybe you should have dug a little deeper before concluding it was hearsay based on nothing but unsupported accusations. You don’t get to go “It’s he-said, she-said” simply because you’re too lazy to track down the facts yourself.
This shows just how fossilized the Japanese legal system can be. It reminds me of the outcome of the infamous ‘wolf pack’ case in Spain, where a group of men drugged a woman and spent 19 hours raping her while she was in conscious and they got off with less than 10 years because rape required resistance
Pacificpilot
In Japan, if he had impregnated her, she would need his consent to get an abortion So he can have his cake and eat it too while she is bashed and ridiculed by all the naysayers on the Internet
InspectorGadget
Good to see that this is now being referred to as a Rape case . . . . . not the slimy term "forced sexual intercourse"
Japan has a long way to go if it keeps hiding behind gentler PC phrases when dealing with tough issues. It tries to dimish the severity of the perpetrators actions.