[Tragic Verdict] The Judgment That Left the Victim’s Parents in Tears

The victim’s father spoke of his intense anger

“Since the incident, my daughter has been afraid to go outside and has not been able to regain her previous brightness. She sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night crying. She quit her extracurricular activities, stopped wearing the girly clothes she loved, and cut her hair short.”

Victim A’s mother sobbed as she spoke on the witness stand.

The jury trial of Shingo Takahashi, 69, who is accused of breaking into a residence and sexually assaulting an elementary school student, was held at the Tokyo District Court on March 4, 2025, on the grounds that he had accused her of not apologizing for hitting him with her bicycle, took her into his garage, and sexually assaulted her.

[Part 1] “I Have No Interest in Young Girls” – The 69-Year-Old Defendant’s Selfish Excuse That Even Confounded His Lawyer

On March 7, the second day of the trial, Ms. A’s parents gave a statement of their opinions prior to the closing arguments. First, Ms. A’s father described the shock he felt immediately after the incident.

“He could not accept the fact that his daughter had been the victim of a sexual assault, and he only hoped that there was some kind of mistake.

When the doctor explained to me during a detailed examination that there were pressure marks on her private parts, I was convinced that what I most did not want had been done, and I was so shocked that I could not move as if I had been rooted to the spot. And I am deeply indignant that the defendant denies having harmed my daughter.”

Furthermore, touching on the defendant Takahashi’s failure to turn himself in and his criminal history,

“Thanks to the hard work of the detectives, countless security cameras and other physical evidence were the decisive factor in the arrest and indictment of the defendant. Without this physical evidences, it is hard to imagine that the defendant would have been living in the same town without a care in the world. The fact that he deleted his daughter’s photo from his smartphone also shows his strong will to evade arrest.

I am sure those who have been victimized in the past must have suffered and are still suffering. My daughter has become the seventh victim of this crime that has been discovered, and I feel a rage that I can’t do anything about it.”

He concluded his statement by expressing his strong anger at the defendant, saying, “I hope you can imagine what I am going through.”

“I hope you can imagine. If the defendant were to move in close proximity to you, your loved ones, or your friends, you would feel very anxious and would not be able to go out as much as you do now.

As a citizen, I can only hope that the defendant, who shows no signs of remorse, will not be able to wander around any town again, and that he will be given the longest possible prison sentence.”

 

“I do not wish for the perpetrator’s rehabilitation.”

Next, A’s mother gave her statement.

“That day, my daughter was simply on her way to her extracurricular activity. An incident that should never have happened in an ordinary life occurred, and our lives were completely changed,” she said, before breaking into sobs and continuing through tears.

“My daughter, who used to play outside with friends and immerse herself in her favorite activities, is now afraid to go outside, chooses inconspicuous clothing to hide herself, and rarely smiles.

She used to trust people and blend into her surroundings, but now she fears others and freezes in terror at the sight of elderly men. The actions of the perpetrator, which led to this, are utterly unforgivable.”

She then emphasized that “for my daughter to even begin healing from her emotional wounds, it is essential that society as a whole demonstrates a firm stance against such crimes and imposes strict justice on offenders.”

“We have no choice but to carry the weight of what happened to our daughter for the rest of our lives, but at the same time, we strongly hope that no other child or family will have to experience the same suffering.

We no longer wish for the perpetrator’s rehabilitation.

We ask that he never return to society and never again trample on another person’s life. Ultimately, what we hope for most is for our daughter to smile again and feel safe going outside. For that to happen, justice must be served, and the perpetrator must fully atone for his crimes.”

Though she was hidden behind a partition and not visible to the courtroom audience, A’s mother sobbed and choked up as she spoke. One of the prosecutors continuously wiped their eyes with a handkerchief.

The remorseless words uttered by the defendant at the end

After the victim impact statements, the prosecution and defense presented their arguments.

The prosecutor pointed out that “The defendant approached the victim in a residential area and forcibly took her into someone else’s garage, demonstrating a bold, practiced, and extremely malicious crime.” Furthermore, the prosecutor stated, “The defendant has two prior convictions for similar offenses, as well as two additional repeat offenses. He exhibits a habitual tendency toward sexual crimes against minors, continuously makes unreasonable excuses, and shows no genuine remorse.” As a result, the prosecution sought a 15-year prison sentence.

On the other hand, the defense argued, “The defendant cannot be held responsible for the resulting injury in this case. We request a lenient sentence within the scope of trespassing and non-consensual sexual intercourse charges.”

On March 10, Presiding Judge Jun Shimato sentenced the defendant, Shingo Takahashi, to 15 years in prison.

During the cross-examination, when asked by his lawyer, “If you receive a prison sentence, can you promise that you will never commit such a crime again after your release?”, Takahashi responded:

“I am already 69 years old. I don’t know how much longer I will live. I have diabetes, and other health issues might arise. I believe it would be best for me to die in prison. But if I were to be released, I think my age and physical condition would make it impossible for me to commit such acts again, so I will try to live properly.”

Takahashi maintained that his actions were not driven by a sexual motive, claiming instead that “A-san didn’t apologize, so I wanted to punish her by doing something she would hate, a sexual act.” He repeatedly denied causing injury, stating, “I never hurt her. I didn’t do anything that would cause pain.”

Furthermore, he claimed, “To prevent myself from committing such acts, I have been drinking sugar every day to develop diabetes and lose my male function, suppressing my sexual urges.”

Despite having participated in a sex offender rehabilitation program while previously incarcerated, it seems that the only deterrent to his crimes was his physical decline.

One can only hope that the victim will one day regain her smile.