Elementary school teacher who repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl in the hallway of her home, saying she was “preparing to become an adult.
On February 2, 2011, the Nagareyama Police Department in Chiba Prefecture arrested Hiroyoshi Mizunuma (Hiroki, 31), an elementary school teacher (at the time; later dismissed on disciplinary grounds), on suspicion of forcible sexual intercourse with an underage girl, A. The trial began on April 17 at the Matsudo Branch of the Chiba District Court. The trial began on April 17 at the Matsudo Branch of the Chiba District Court.
Mizunuma was indicted on charges of forcible sexual intercourse on November 19, 2010, and January 16, 2011, but during his trial, he revealed that he had committed sexual acts and indecent acts 10 to 15 times between November of last year and January of this year.
In court, the details of two of the charges were revealed, but they were outrageous and irresponsible acts that one would not expect from a person who works in the field of education.
For example, the November 19 crime was as follows.
When Mr. A was brought to Mizunuma’s home, his legs became stiff at the entrance. When Ms. A became unable to move, Mizunuma pushed her and told her to go inside, and they had sexual intercourse in the hallway.
When asked by the presiding judge, “Why in the hallway? The judge asked, “Why did you use the hallway?” He replied, “I think that if I had been in the living room or bedroom, I would have thought about my wife and son and would have felt guilty, so subconsciously I didn’t go that far.
Mr. A was at defendant Mizunuma’s home for about 30 minutes to an hour. She was brought to his home only for sexual intercourse, and as soon as the act was over, defendant Mizunuma left the house with her.
The website of the elementary school where Mizunuma worked showed the defendant giving her sex education as “preparation for becoming an adult “.
The attorney representing the victim’s family asked, “What were you thinking while you were giving the students sex education? ” When asked, he replied, “I wanted them to have proper knowledge. However, the agent asked , “With a minor, wasn’t there a possibility that her uterus could have ruptured or she could have been seriously injured during sexual intercourse? ” What did you plan to do if you got pregnant?” When I continued to ask questions, she replied, “I am sorry. I didn’t think that far ahead,” he answered irresponsibly.
Referring to Mizunuma’s comment to Ms. A after the act, “Get a boyfriend your own age as soon as possible,” the representative asked, “When the act was discovered,did youintend to blame someone else for the crime? When asked by his attorney, “ Did you intend to blame someone else when you were found guilty of the act?
The police investigation revealed that Mizunuma had purchased a number of pedophile-oriented comic books since his college days and kept them at home without disposing of them .
The agent asked , “Didn’t he become a teacher for impure purposes?” When asked, “I thought I had nothing to do with such things (pedophilia),” or “Maybe you just want to think that there is ‘no’ such thing, ” he gave a cryptic answer.
However, the prosecutor stood up to ask a supplementary question, ” I will confirm the sexual proclivities that the defendant is now aware of,” and asked , “Do you remember that you told us during the interrogation that your sexual targets are women from elementary school girls to women around your early thirties? Aside from the older ages, you had a sexual interest in young girls, did you not?” When asked, he admitted, “Now that I think about it, I may have had a propensity in me that would be called a pedophile in the world,” and promised to consult a specialized clinic in the future.
On October 23, Ms. A’s mother made a statement prior to the closing argument.
She described the shock she felt when her daughter told her what the defendant had done to her, and her voice shook as she said, “The defendant hurt my daughter’s mind and body, and turned her into a toy,” and “My daughter couldn’t stop crying.
Noting that Ms. A still has not been able to sort out her feelings, saying that she “may have liked” the defendant Mizunuma, she angrily stated, “According to experts, she is in a state of brainwashing through typical grooming (the act of approaching a potential victim and gaining his/her trust by getting close to him or her). He concluded his plea by saying.
The defendant has ruined our family’s life. I hope you will give him a proper sentence.
The defendant’s daughter was subjected to degrading and obscene language and was held by the defendant’s head and treated roughly.
Mizunuma’s father, who was sitting in the audience and taking notes, stopped writing and was stunned by the horrific acts described by Ms. A’s mother.
In his closing argument, the prosecution argued that the defendant had “skillfully lured the victim, who lacked sexual knowledge, into committing a despicable crime” and that the crime was “habitual and malicious, ” and sought six years in prison. The defense only stated, “We ask that the punishment be as lenient as possible.
Mizunuma, who is currently out on bail, is said to be spending his days in reflection, “thinking about the victims” by sitting upright on the tatami mats morning and evening, while attending a specialized clinic.
The verdict will be handed down on December 4.
Interview and text by: Ryo Nakahira Photo: Shinji Hasuo