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| Japanese journalist Shiori Ito is awarded damages in landmark rape case | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| TOKYO — A Japanese civil court awarded about $30,000 in damages to a journalist who alleged she was raped by a powerful television anchor, in a case that highlighted Japan's outdated rape laws and the obstacles women face in alleging sexual misconduct in a nation run by a conservative, male-dominated establishment. | TOKYO — A Japanese civil court awarded about $30,000 in damages to a journalist who alleged she was raped by a powerful television anchor, in a case that highlighted Japan's outdated rape laws and the obstacles women face in alleging sexual misconduct in a nation run by a conservative, male-dominated establishment. |
| Although the compensation was about one-third of what Shiori Ito had sought, the verdict marked a victory for women’s rights in Japan and for the country’s nascent MeToo movement. | Although the compensation was about one-third of what Shiori Ito had sought, the verdict marked a victory for women’s rights in Japan and for the country’s nascent MeToo movement. |
| Outside the court Ito thanked her many supporters as she pursued the case in the face of a significant backlash, and said she hoped the ruling would help other cases see the light of day. | Outside the court Ito thanked her many supporters as she pursued the case in the face of a significant backlash, and said she hoped the ruling would help other cases see the light of day. |
| “I am truly glad I was able to deliver everyone a good result,” she said. “Even with this much support, a victim can become nervous, worried. Even today, there are so many people who are fighting alone. I hope it will become easier for them to feel less worried going forward.” | “I am truly glad I was able to deliver everyone a good result,” she said. “Even with this much support, a victim can become nervous, worried. Even today, there are so many people who are fighting alone. I hope it will become easier for them to feel less worried going forward.” |
| Ito says she felt dizzy and lost consciousness during an evening drinking and eating with a well-known male journalist, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, in 2015, after he offered to help her find a job. She says she awoke hours later to find him raping her and believes he drugged her. | Ito says she felt dizzy and lost consciousness during an evening drinking and eating with a well-known male journalist, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, in 2015, after he offered to help her find a job. She says she awoke hours later to find him raping her and believes he drugged her. |
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| Tokyo police initially tried to discourage her from pressing charges, and could not provide a female police officer able to record her testimony. | |
| Evidence mounted to support the charges. A taxi driver testified that he had heard Ito ask to get out at a train station, then saw her lose consciousness. Security footage showed Ito being taken, apparently unconscious, through the lobby of a hotel where Yamaguchi was staying. | Evidence mounted to support the charges. A taxi driver testified that he had heard Ito ask to get out at a train station, then saw her lose consciousness. Security footage showed Ito being taken, apparently unconscious, through the lobby of a hotel where Yamaguchi was staying. |
| Police eventually handed the case to prosecutors and an arrest warrant was initially issued for Yamaguchi — but then suddenly dropped on the instructions of a senior police officer. | Police eventually handed the case to prosecutors and an arrest warrant was initially issued for Yamaguchi — but then suddenly dropped on the instructions of a senior police officer. |
| Yamaguchi was Washington bureau chief of the Tokyo Broadcasting System at the time and had written books about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Opposition lawmakers held hearings in 2017 and asked if the case was dropped due to Yamaguchi’s ties to Abe, but officials denied this, arguing there was insufficient evidence to charge him. | Yamaguchi was Washington bureau chief of the Tokyo Broadcasting System at the time and had written books about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Opposition lawmakers held hearings in 2017 and asked if the case was dropped due to Yamaguchi’s ties to Abe, but officials denied this, arguing there was insufficient evidence to charge him. |
| Yamaguchi had argued that he had taken Ito to his hotel room because she had been too drunk to get home safely, and denied raping her, saying she had aggressively asked for sex. | Yamaguchi had argued that he had taken Ito to his hotel room because she had been too drunk to get home safely, and denied raping her, saying she had aggressively asked for sex. |
| In 2017, Ito broke with convention by going public with her claims at a news conference, but Japan’s male-dominated and pro-establishment media was reluctant to champion her cause, citing the lack of a criminal indictment. Instead, she faced threats and insults over social media, by email and telephone, and articles attacking her in a conservative magazine. | In 2017, Ito broke with convention by going public with her claims at a news conference, but Japan’s male-dominated and pro-establishment media was reluctant to champion her cause, citing the lack of a criminal indictment. Instead, she faced threats and insults over social media, by email and telephone, and articles attacking her in a conservative magazine. |
| She braved the backlash and took Yamaguchi to court in a civil case. She wrote a book entitled “Black Box” about her experiences and the difficulties she faced getting information on her own case, let alone other similar cases. | She braved the backlash and took Yamaguchi to court in a civil case. She wrote a book entitled “Black Box” about her experiences and the difficulties she faced getting information on her own case, let alone other similar cases. |
| When she went public, Ito estimated that only around 5 percent of rapes were reported in Japan, due to stigma in Japanese society, police indifference and reluctance to open a case, the difficulty of obtaining a guilty verdict and the risk of a backlash against the victim. | When she went public, Ito estimated that only around 5 percent of rapes were reported in Japan, due to stigma in Japanese society, police indifference and reluctance to open a case, the difficulty of obtaining a guilty verdict and the risk of a backlash against the victim. |
| But her testimony has helped galvanize Japan’s MeToo movement. The number of rape cases where the Justice Ministry began proceedings rose 35 in 2018 to 410, although the figure remains very low by international standards considering Japan’s population. | But her testimony has helped galvanize Japan’s MeToo movement. The number of rape cases where the Justice Ministry began proceedings rose 35 in 2018 to 410, although the figure remains very low by international standards considering Japan’s population. |
| More women are also speaking out about sexual harassment, including in the workplace, and protesting about the way cases are handled after a series of acquittals and low sentences for those found guilty. Monthly “Flower Demonstrations” began in Tokyo in April and have spread to 25 other Japanese cities. | More women are also speaking out about sexual harassment, including in the workplace, and protesting about the way cases are handled after a series of acquittals and low sentences for those found guilty. Monthly “Flower Demonstrations” began in Tokyo in April and have spread to 25 other Japanese cities. |
| “Looking at him at the court, I was trying to imagine what was going in his mind,” Ito said outside the court. “I hope he will speak sincerely from now on.” | “Looking at him at the court, I was trying to imagine what was going in his mind,” Ito said outside the court. “I hope he will speak sincerely from now on.” |
| Yamaguchi had sought about $120,000 in compensation from Ito in a countersuit, and demanded she take out full-page advertisements in Japan’s major newspapers apologizing for damaging his reputation. His lawyer accused her of delusion and paranoia. | |
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| Ito is campaigning for changes to Japan’s rape law, which fails to mention the concept of consent and sets the legal age for sex at just 13 years. | Ito is campaigning for changes to Japan’s rape law, which fails to mention the concept of consent and sets the legal age for sex at just 13 years. |
| But she says more far-reaching changes are needed throughout the system, from the need to address the massive shortage of women police officers who can deal with rape cases, to opening up the “black box” of Japan’s prosecution system and breaking open the country’s male-dominated political, legal and media establishment. | But she says more far-reaching changes are needed throughout the system, from the need to address the massive shortage of women police officers who can deal with rape cases, to opening up the “black box” of Japan’s prosecution system and breaking open the country’s male-dominated political, legal and media establishment. |
| Still, Ito said she was glad the civil case had shed light on what happened to her, and allowed witnesses to testify in a courtroom. She said the overall situation had begun to change for the better in Japan, however slowly. | Still, Ito said she was glad the civil case had shed light on what happened to her, and allowed witnesses to testify in a courtroom. She said the overall situation had begun to change for the better in Japan, however slowly. |
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