Former Principal Gets 9 Years for Lewd Acts on Students Victims Express Regret
The crime was discovered due to a report.
“The court rules to sentence the defendant to 9 years in prison.”
On December 9, the moment Judge Yasunobu Hosoya delivered the verdict, defendant Hisayoshi Kitamura (57) remained still and faced forward without moving.
Kitamura, a former principal of a junior high school in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward, had been accused of rape 14 years earlier for sexually assaulting and injuring a female student, Ms. A, who was his student at the time.
Kitamura was also accused of violating the Child Pornography Law by filming and storing the sexual assault of Ms. A and indecent acts toward another female student, Ms. B. However, because of the statute of limitations on indecent acts toward Ms. B, he was not charged with these crimes.
“The incident came to light when Ms. B consulted with the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, saying that she had been sexually abused by Mr. Kitamura when she was in junior high school. When the police searched the principal’s office, they found a video camera in which sexual acts against Ms. A and Ms. B were filmed, leading to his arrest.” (A reporter for a national newspaper)
As Ms. B was about to graduate from junior high school, they reportedly asked Kitamura, “Please delete the footage,” to which Kitamura responded, “I understand.” However, during the court hearing on December 2, Ms. B stated the following regarding the footage that remained.
“When I received the notification that evidence (indecent images) had been discovered in the principal’s office, I was overwhelmed with disbelief. At the same time, I felt a strong sense of disgust. Summoning all my courage, I asked him to ‘please delete it,’ but to the defendant, it was nothing more than a promise he could easily break. I strongly felt that from the very beginning, the defendant had only seen me as a tool to satisfy his desires.”
“I thought we were going out.”
During the defendant’s questioning on November 28, Kitamura revealed the following about undergoing examinations at a medical center specializing in sexual disorders.
“It was determined that I do not have a sexual disorder requiring treatment, such as pedophilia, but rather that my cognition was distorted as a result of various accumulated stresses.”
Continuing, Kitamura claimed that because his cognition was distorted, he had fallen into the illusion of liking A as a woman and having a relationship with her, despite the fact that he was in the position of a teacher and A was a student.
The year Ms. A graduated, Ms. B entered the school, seemingly taking Ms. A’s place.
When asked by his defense lawyer during questioning, “What kind of student was Ms. B?” Kitamura responded:
“Her appearance was very similar to Ms. A’s, and I felt like A had returned. Although she wasn’t my girlfriend like Ms. A, I had feelings for her. I also felt that Ms. B had positive feelings toward me.”
Kitamura then stated that, like with A, he called B to the first science prep room under the pretense of giving her a “massage,” and then engaged in indecent acts with her. According to Kitamura, “‘Massage’ was a kind of euphemism for ‘sexual acts,’ and I thought A and B shared that understanding.”
At the fourth trial session on December 2, both Ms. A and Ms. B testified, expressing their feelings.
Both women stated that they continue to suffer from memories of the sexual abuse, and their words were filled with strong anger toward Kitamura.
“I kept telling myself that it was just something I had to endure until graduation, but I couldn’t help but feel frustrated and devastated, wondering why it was only me who had to go through this. There were days I cried as I went home. The trauma has affected my life.
For me, memories of that time still flash in my mind, making sexual acts truly painful. I had been in a long-term relationship, but I felt guilty about making him endure, and in the end, we broke up. Since then, I’ve lost interest in love and marriage. I will have to live my life with these unpleasant memories that I cannot erase. No matter what sentence the defendant receives, my wounds will never heal.” (Ms. A)
Despicable “Gag Order”
“I was called after school and indecently assaulted in the school building for about two years. It took me a very long time to realize that the damage I had suffered was a crime, so I was only charged with possession of child pornography. I thought about telling my mother a few times, but the pressure of being kept quiet by my teachers ultimately prevented me from doing so. I regret that I had not acted sooner before the statute of limitations expired.
I strongly resent the fact that the defendant enjoyed his life with the attitude that it was fine as long as his crime was not exposed, and that he had risen to the position of principal. I strongly hope that the defendant will receive a sentence that is not suspended.” (Ms. B)
At the December 3 argument, the prosecutor asked for a sentence of 9 years in prison, while the defense asked for a suspended sentence, claiming that he was not guilty of quasi-rape.
On December 9, the sentencing hearing was held.
The judge ruled on the significant issue of whether the case would expire under the statute of limitations, stating that “A was injured,” thus confirming the quasi-rape charge. The judge rejected the defense’s argument that even if there was an injury, it was of the same degree that could happen in normal sexual intercourse, and should not be considered bodily harm, saying, “This interpretation cannot be accepted.”
After delivering the sentencing, the judge explained that the defendant’s actions had escalated against the backdrop of an overwhelming power dynamic and acknowledged the difficulty for female middle school students to speak out about sexual abuse due to shame and self-blame. Despite this, Kitamura remained at the witness stand for a while.
The defendant, who had trampled on the lives of Ms. A and Ms. B by exploiting his dominant position, remained at the stand while hearing the verdict, leaving his thoughts a mystery to all.
In a related article, “[Sexual intercourse without contraceptives.] Former principal sexually assaults pupil, victim reveals ‘details of the crime that were too abnormal'”, Kitamura’s selfishness is reported in detail.
Interview and text： Nakahira Ryo Photo： Shinji Hasuo (2nd photo)
