[Verdict] 6-Year-Old’s Testimony: “He Grabbed My Chest” — Court Ruling and 51-Year-Old Defendant’s Defense
On June 25, the Tokyo District Court delivered its verdict in the case of Hajime Tanaka (51), who was accused of committing an indecent act against a 6-year-old girl on the stairs of an apartment complex within a housing estate. He was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison.
Presiding Judge Chikako Murata explained the reasoning behind the verdict:
“The victim, Girl A, stated that he grabbed my chest over my clothes, and her testimony is credible. The defendant’s claim that he spoke to her so as not to raise suspicion about trespassing is unnatural and unreasonable. He also could not provide a rational explanation for the inconsistencies between his statements at the time of arrest and those made during the trial.”
Throughout the sentencing, Tanaka kept his head down and looked toward the ground. Even as he exited the courtroom, he did not once look at the father of Girl A, who was sitting behind the prosecutor.
At both the initial hearing on April 25 and the second hearing on May 30, Tanaka made a variety of claims and denied the allegations, insisting the statements recorded during his arrest were not true and completely rejecting them. The article reporting on the initial trial will be republished.
“Keep it a secret, okay? Promise?”
“On October 6, 2024, the defendant Tanaka was arrested by the Kamata Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on suspicion of committing a non-consensual indecent act. He is suspected of having touched the chest of Girl A (then 6 years old) on July 28, in an apartment building within a housing complex in Ota Ward. Back in 2014, Tanaka also committed multiple indecent acts against an 8-year-old child, and on February 26, 2015, he was sentenced to three years in prison for forcible indecency. This means that he committed the current offense about six and a half years after being released from prison,” explains a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs desk.
The details of the defendant Tanaka’s crime, as revealed through the indictment read aloud by the prosecutor, are as follows:
“On July 28, 2024, at around 1:30 p.m., the defendant Tanaka approached Girl A, who was waiting for the elevator on the first floor of an apartment building within a housing complex, intending to visit a friend’s home. He spoke to her, saying things like ‘Where are you going?’, and got into the elevator with her. After they both got off on the 11th floor, he told her things like ‘Come to the stairs,’ and lured her to the staircase leading down to the 10th floor, where he touched her chest.
After the act, Tanaka put his index finger to his lips and said things like, ‘Keep it a secret, okay? Promise?’ He then shook her hand and made a pinky promise before parting ways with her. He went down the stairs to the first floor, changed his T-shirt near a parked car, and fled the scene. Girl A told her friend’s grandmother about what had happened, and upon hearing this, Girl A’s father contacted the police.”
During the confirmation of his plea, defendant Tanaka denied the charges, stating, “I did not commit any indecent acts.” During his testimony, he began to speak about the events of the day in question in response to questions from his defense attorney.
“Was he afraid of being caught trespassing without permission?”
“After finishing some errands at my parents’ house, I happened to drive through the housing complex area. The weather was nice that day, and I suddenly thought it would be beautiful to have a can of coffee and look at the view from the rooftop of the building. So, I parked inside the complex, bought a canned coffee, and entered the building without permission,” said defendant Tanaka during his testimony.
Tanaka’s parents’ home is located near this housing complex, so he was somewhat familiar with the area. The apartment building had security cameras at the entrance, but it wasn’t equipped with an auto-lock system.
“In front of the elevator, a small girl (Girl A) was waiting alone. Because I felt guilty about trespassing, I looked around nervously and spoke to the girl to avoid arousing suspicion, saying things like, ‘It’s hot, huh? Where are you going?’”
After getting into the elevator, the girl pressed the button for the 11th floor, but Tanaka did not press any button himself.
“I was afraid that she’d realize I was heading to the rooftop, so I didn’t press the floor button.
Since the rooftop is the only level above the 11th floor, I panicked, thinking it would be obvious I was going there. So, I said to her, ‘Oh, 11th floor for me too. I’ll go to the stairs after I get off,’ and decided to get off with her.”
Having given up on going to the rooftop, Tanaka said he exited the elevator and headed straight to the stairs. When he sensed someone behind him and turned around, he saw that the girl had followed him.
“To tell her not to follow me, I placed my right palm on her left shoulder. Then, trying not to get caught for trespassing, I told her ‘Keep this a secret, okay? Promise?’ Wanting to calm her down because I thought I’d startled her, I shook her hand and made a pinky promise.”
After that, he went down to the first floor. In order to avoid being identified, he hid his face while passing in front of the security camera, took off the T-shirt he was wearing because of the heat, got into his car, and drove home.
The statement is not true
However, Girl A’s statement differs from Tanaka’s testimony. During a police interview, Girl A stated—with accompanying gestures—that Tanaka told her “Come to the stairs,” and that it was there he touched her chest. She also reportedly said, “The man (Tanaka) ran away when my friend showed up.”
When asked by his defense lawyer about these discrepancies, Tanaka denied her claims, stating:
“Maybe she followed me because she thought I looked suspicious, or perhaps when I said, ‘I’m going to the stairs,’ she misunderstood it as ‘Come to the stairs.’ And as for a friend, I don’t recall anyone else being there.”
Additionally, right after his arrest, Tanaka had stated in a police interview that he “grabbed the left chest area of her shirt because he wanted to see the pattern on it,” —a claim that contradicts his courtroom testimony in which he said he only placed his right hand on her left shoulder.
Regarding that inconsistency, Tanaka explained that he had been arrested about two months after the incident, was in a state of panic, and responded to police questioning with vague memories until his lawyer advised him to remain silent.
“Because I vaguely remembered touching the girl, I panicked and made up a lie as a defense. That’s why a written statement that isn’t true ended up being created. I just went along with what the police were suggesting, accepting everything they said. It’s clear from the surveillance footage that my initial statement—that I went up to the 12th floor by stairs and came down by elevator to the 1st floor—was wrong.”
Tanaka emphasized that after reviewing surveillance footage provided by his defense attorney, his memory became clearer, and he completely denied any indecent conduct.
Yet, the various actions he claimed were all driven by fear of being caught for unauthorized entry into the building, and ironically, they only made his behavior appear more suspicious. One can’t help but wonder: How much of his explanation reached the hearts of the people in the courtroom—including Girl A’s relatives?
[Part 2] will cover the prosecutor’s pursuit of Tanaka’s inconsistent testimony, and the powerful words of anger expressed by the victim’s father when he took the witness stand.
Interview and text： Ryo Nakahira
