Man Gets 8 Years for Sexual Assault of Daughter

Tokyo, Oct. 22 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese court sentenced a 54-year-old man to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting his daughter in 2016, when she was a teenager. According to the ruling by Toyama District Court on Tuesday, Koji Daimon, who is unemployed, sexually assaulted his then 16-year-old daughter, Riho Fukuyama, at their home in the city of Kurobe in Toyama Prefecture, central Japan, in August 2016. Presiding Judge Toshiaki Umezawa called the crime “nasty and malicious,” handing down the sentence in line with the prosecution’s request. The focus of the trial was whether Fukuyama was in a condition that allowed her to resist. Umezawa pointed out that Fukuyama’s testimony was very detailed and credible, vividly showing her sense of helplessness that came from desperate resistance proving fruitless. The court rejected the defense’s claim of innocence based on the argument that the daughter could have resisted. “The defendant took advantage of the difficult-to-detect environment of his home to satisfy his sexual desires, ignoring his daughter’s humanity,” Umezawa said. “Fukuyama had been subjected to repeated sexual abuse since junior high school and was mentally cornered with no way to escape after her pleas for help failed to change the situation,” the judge also said. “The consequences are grave.” The ruling also took into account that Daimon made statements that ridiculed the victim throughout the trial. After his father’s arrest, Fukuyama came forward using her real name to speak out about what she went through. “I felt relieved. My efforts were acknowledged,” Fukuyama told a press conference, appreciating the ruling. Also welcoming the ruling, her lawyer said it was “sympathetic to the victim’s feelings.” At the press conference, Fukuyama stressed the necessity of support for victims of domestic sexual violence, announcing that she has established a general incorporated foundation to help children who are subjected to such abuse to take the step of filing criminal complaints. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]