AICHI (TR) – The Nagoya District Court has handed prison terms of eight and a half years to two men, including a former Self-Defense Force member, over the rape of a woman in Komaki City earlier this year, reports Nippon News Network (Dec. 17).
In handing down the ruling on Monday, the presiding judge described the actions of Yusuke Yoshimura, a former Ground Self-Defense Force member, and Yuki Yoshioka, both 22, as “extremely malignant.”
According to the indictment. Yoshimura and Yoshioka abducted the woman, 20, from her bicycle as she pedaled on a road at around 9:10 p.m. on May 29.
“If you make a sound, we can kill you at anytime,” one of them threatened. They then sexually assaulted her in a field.
Upon their arrest in July, both suspects, who were accused of coerced intercourse, admitted to the allegations, according to the Komaki Police Station.
“The victim’s mental anguish is enormous,” the presiding judge added.
According to police, the defendants are childhood friends. They had hinted at involvement in more than one dozen similar cases, including attempted sexual assault.
The suspects emerged as persons of interest in the case in May after learning that two suspicious vehicles were seen near the crime scene.
Until March, Yoshimura was stationed at the GSDF’s Camp Hisai in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture.
