Former Principal Sentenced to 9 Years for Filming and Assaulting Student

Claims Statute of Limitations.

“Fourteen years ago, Hisayoshi Kitamura (57), the former principal of a middle school in Nerima, Tokyo, was charged with aggravated indecent assault causing injury after sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student, referred to as Student A, within the school grounds.”

In addition to the sexual assault of Student A, Kitamura was also accused of violating the Child Pornography Law by filming and possessing indecent acts involving another female student, Student B. Kitamura’s defense attorney was notified by the trial court that the defendant had been convicted of the crime.

In the trial, Kitamura’s defense attorney pointed out that there was no medical certificate or doctor’s report regarding Student A’s injury, questioning whether she had actually been injured. The defense argued that since the statute of limitations for aggravated indecent assault causing injury was 15 years, while the statute of limitations for simple indecent assault was 10 years, “if no injury occurred, the statute of limitations would apply.”

Whether the charge of aggravated indecent assault causing injury on Student A could be recognized became a major point of contention in the trial. However, on December 9, the Tokyo District Court ruled that the actions were highly malicious, exploiting the power dynamics, and sentenced Kitamura to 9 years in prison.

During the trial, Student A took the stand and testified in detail about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Kitamura.

“From spring to summer of her second year of junior high school, Kitamura-sensei called me to the first science preparation room and said, ‘I will give you a massage. At first he touched my thighs and calves from the top of my jersey, but as he called me again and again, he started touching my pubic area from the top of my jersey and putting his hands inside my underwear.” (Student A)

Kitamura’s behavior became even more vicious.

The “barbaric acts” captured on video

“One day, when I was called to the first science preparation room, there was a sofa bed there, and I was made to undress there. Furthermore, it wasn’t just touching with his hands anymore; he started using a machine,” (Student A).

Shockingly, Kitamura had brought equipment such as an electric massager into the school. Student A reflected on the experience:

“The massager was quite painful, and it had a strong vibration, which caused a lot of discomfort in my lower abdomen. I didn’t want to see what was happening to me, so I would look at the ceiling or to the side to avoid it.”

 

Because she intentionally tried not to look at what was happening to her, Student A only discovered, while reviewing videos later, that Kitamura had used a vibrator and engaged in sexual intercourse without protection.

When the prosecutor asked, “Did the defendant provide any explanation about this act during the sexual conduct?” Student A’s answer was something hard to believe.

 

“(Kitamura) told me, ‘This act is something that people who like each other do, and it’s not something to be ashamed of; it’s a beautiful thing.’ He also explained, ‘By using a part of the brain that’s different from the one you use for studying, you can relax, and it will even improve your study efficiency.'”

A said she couldn’t explain the abuse she suffered to her parents or others around her. She explained the reasons:

“It was embarrassing to explain what had happened to me. Also, if I consulted my parents, I knew they would be sad, and if I spoke to another teacher, I worried it would turn into a huge issue involving the entire school. By that point, I thought I just had to endure it for the rest of middle school and get through it.”

Explains “stress from hard work”

In the end, Kitamura continued to sexually assault her until the summer of her junior year.

When they first met, Student A respected Kitamura, saying, “He taught the science lessons in a way that was easy to understand. His board writing was neat.” However, after the sexual acts began, she came to view him as someone I truly hated. I despise him.

During the third trial session held on November 28, Kitamura was asked how he perceived his relationship with A.

“My thinking at the time was that due to the stress of my heavy workload, I had become somewhat immature, like the middle school students I interacted with daily. As a result, I stopped thinking of A as a middle school student and began to see her as a woman. I thought she liked me too, and I became deluded into thinking we were in a romantic relationship” (Kitamura).

 

At the end of this day’s trial, Kitamura’s wife, C, appeared as a character witness. As she walked toward the witness stand, Kitamura’s face contorted, and he was seen crying. During the trial, he left behind the following statement:

“I thought there was no way to atone for what I had done, and I even considered death. However, the police and prosecutors told me that the first step toward atonement was to reflect and speak the truth, which is why I am standing here.”

Has he only now realized the gravity of the crimes he committed? The actions that trampled on the future of the victim cannot ever be fully atoned for.