TOKYO (TR) – A 33-year-old woman was handed a suspended prison sentence by the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday for repeatedly “liking” her ex-boyfriend’s posts on X in violation of a stalking restraining order, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 10).
The case marks a rare instance of a defendant being prosecuted and convicted solely for interacting with social media posts.
Serina Saito, an unemployed resident of Meguro Ward, Tokyo, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for three years with mandatory probation. Prosecutors had requested the six-month sentence.
According to the ruling, Saito violated a court-issued anti-stalking order on June 3 by “liking” 14 of her former partner’s posts and reposting one.
Presiding Judge Yoshihiro Hayashi condemned the act as “persistent,” noting that the offense occurred just one week after Saito had been fined 200,000 yen for a previous stalking incident involving the same victim.
“The act deserves severe criticism,” presiding judge Hayashi stated during the sentencing.
However, the court opted for a suspended sentence after acknowledging that Saito had expressed remorse and promised to delete the X application from her devices.
Legal experts noted that while stalking laws typically cover more direct forms of harassment, this ruling underscores the court’s willingness to crack down on unwanted digital interaction as a form of criminal intimidation.
