TOYAMA (TR) – A court here has sentenced a man to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting his daughter while she was in high school, reports Fuji News Network (Oct. 22).
On Tuesday, the Toyama District Court handed Koji Daimon, 54, a former company executive from Kurobe City, an eight-year prison term. The prosecution had requested that same period in prison for the defendant.
In handing down the ruling, presiding judge Toshiaki Umezawa described the crime as “despicable and malicious.” He added, “It was a habitual offense that took advantage of the situation in that it was a domestic crime, which is difficult to detect. It also took advantage of his daughter’s inability to resist.”
According to the ruling, Daimon sexually assaulted his daughter, 16-year-old Riho Fukuyama, then a second-year high school student, in August 2016 while knowing that she was unable to resist.
“Within the scope of discipline”
At the opening of the trial, the prosecution argued, “The defendant had been violent towards his daughter and had made her feel afraid before the incident. He had sex with her multiple times. The daughter was afraid that her younger sister would also be harmed. As a result, she could not refuse because her family relied on the defendant’s income, including for going to high school or college.”
Meanwhile, Daimon’s lawyer argued, “He did hit his daughter, but it was within the scope of discipline. He never made her feel afraid. Also, when he invited her, she would sometimes shake his arms off and refuse. He did not use violence to put her in a position where she could not resist, and although he should be condemned ethically and morally, he is innocent.”
The main point of contention during the trial was whether Fukuyama was in a position to resist the assault. Judge Umezawa pointed out that Fukuyama’s testimony was very specific, clearly showing her sense of helplessness when her desperate resistance was in vain. Finding the testimony highly credible, he rejected the defendant’s claim of innocence that his “daughter was able to resist.”
He then said the defendant targeted the victim’s dignity in order to satisfy his sexual desires: “The victim has been sexually abused repeatedly since she was a middle school student, and despite her requests for help from those around her, she has been driven to the brink of mental exhaustion with no way out. The consequences are serious.”
Taking into account the defendant’s constant excuses in court that mocked the victim, the court concluded that prosecution’s requested sentence should be imposed.
Fukuyama, who is now 25 years old, used her real name in filing the claim against her father. “It’s finally over,” she said, “and my actions have been recognized. I’m relieved by that, and I feel incredibly relieved. I want you to take the time to really think about why I was hurt, how I ended up in this situation, and what I did wrong.”
