4) Rapist Found "Not Guilty" in Japan, Again

A 25-year-old man who raped and injured a woman was acquitted by the Toyama District Court's lay judge trial on May 13, 2022. The district court Judge Takahiro Hosono stated that since the woman "did not yell out for help," "could have run away but didn't," it "can't be said that it wasn't consensual." He also stated that the woman's statements are "not credible as her testimony is not sound and her memory seems ambiguous."

 

The ruling is oblivious to the "freeze" response of sexually assaulted victims who often find it difficult to resist in form of yelling or running away due to fear and confusion. It is known that victims often experience memory loss and emotional paralysis to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which continues long after the abuse. Thus, IMHO, even the prosecution's sentence of seven years in prison is too short.