Did you hear about the recent Osaka High Court ruling on sexual assault?
No. What happened?
In 2022, two medical students were sentenced to five and two-and-a-half years in prison in the first trial for sexually assaulting a female university student.
But in the latest appeal trial in Dec 2023, the Osaka High Court acquitted them. It determined that there may have been an agreement between the woman and the students.
However, a video taken by the medical students and used in the trial shows the woman saying, “No. Stop it. Please stop.”
Huh!? So how is that considered consent?
It’s incomprehensible.
But we often hear about non-prosecution cases after filing.
That’s right.
The graph below shows the percentage of “non-consensual sexual intercourse (forced sexual intercourse)” not prosecuted in Japan since 2015.
It has always been over 60%. Apparently, in 2023, 67% of cases were not prosecuted.
Is it such high?!
What is the reason for not prosecuting?
Apparently, because there is little evidence, the case is deemed to be “insufficient suspicion”. Or a settlement is reached and the case is given “deferred prosecution.”
Hmm. But in that previous case, there was evidence and they didn’t prosecute.
Yeah, that’s weird…….
References
– YomiDoctor. Two Shiga University of Medical Science students found not guilty. The first trial found them guilty of sexually assaulting a female student and sentenced them to prison. 19 Dec 2024. https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/yomidr/article/20241219-OYT1T50030/?catname=news-kaisetsu_news&site-view=pc
– e-stat Government Statistics Portal. https://www.e-stat.go.jp/dbview?sid=0003274052
– Asiro. Reasons and probability of suspects not being indicted in rape and forced sexual intercourse cases. https://keiji-pro.com/columns/343/
