Assault on Girl Returning from Father’s Birthday Gift—Defendant’s Intoxication Defense Fails

Sentence handed down to defendant who committed a despicable act on a young girl

“I’ve always liked little kids, and after drinking alcohol, I got emboldened and committed the crime.”

While he admitted to sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, defendant Ayata Yamaguchi (34) claimed that he committed the crime because he was drunk. A verdict has been handed down.

On July 11, at the Yokohama District Court, presiding Judge Mayumi Terasawa stated, “This is a vile and malicious act that caused severe fear to A, who likely cannot even understand the meaning of sexual acts yet,” and “Just over three years after the completion of a previous sentence, the defendant committed an even more harmful crime against a younger girl, and this decision deserves strong condemnation.” Accordingly, she sentenced the defendant to six years and six months in prison, against the prosecution’s request for seven years.

“On February 6, 2025, the Sagamihara Police Station of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested defendant Ayata Yamaguchi on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse for sexually assaulting A-san, who was 8 years old at the time.

The incident occurred on September 3, 2024. A-san was attacked on her way home after buying a birthday present for her father. The case came to light when a teacher noticed A-san crying in front of the elementary school she attended and called emergency services.

At that time, Yamaguchi already had a prior criminal record. On March 23, 2019, he was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison for forcible indecency against three elementary school girls aged 11 to 12.” (Reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department)

During police questioning about the incident involving A-san, defendant Yamaguchi stated the following motive for his crime.

“That day, I drank whiskey and felt so aroused that it was about to explode. I reached my limit of self-control, so I headed to a crowded area with many shops intending to attack someone.”

And by chance, the person who caught his eye was A-san, who was on her way home.

At the first trial held on April 14, the charges and the prosecution’s opening statement revealed that Yamaguchi’s crime was extremely horrific.

“Yamaguchi took A to a vacant lot and threatened her by saying things like, ‘Don’t make a fuss, or I’ll kill you,’ then committed sexual assault by inserting his finger into A’s genitalia. Yamaguchi is an alcoholic and, after his release, had been undergoing treatment at a support facility, but due to difficulties with personal relationships, he repeatedly entered and left the facility and was living on the streets at the time of the incident.”

In the previous incident as well, Yamaguchi was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crime. During the defendant’s questioning at the second trial held on May 22, he responded to the prosecutor’s questions by making the following statements about the effects of alcohol.

Did you attack a child because you couldn’t go to a sex club?

“When I drink alcohol, I really lose my memory, and if I hadn’t been drinking, (the incident) truly wouldn’t have happened. I end up blaming the alcohol, but at the time of the incident, I drank too much and knew it was wrong, but I went ahead and did it anyway.”

He further said that he had no money and no way to relieve the heightened sexual desire caused by drinking.

“I had no money and couldn’t afford to go to a brothel, so I committed the crime. I couldn’t afford to go to a brothel, and I like little girls, so I did it.”

However, when the prosecutor asked, “Is the cause of this crime that you couldn’t go to a sex establishment, or that you wanted to have sexual acts with an elementary school-aged girl? Which is it?” he answered as follows.

“I like small children who are still young and know nothing, so I targeted those kinds of children.”

At the end of the defendant questioning, when the prosecutor asked, “How do you plan to move forward from now on?” Yamaguchi promised to overcome his alcohol addiction.

“When I return to society, I truly want to enter a facility, follow their instructions, and make sure I don’t run away. I swear that I will never drink alcohol again for the rest of my life.”

At the second trial, the director of the support facility where defendant Yamaguchi had previously stayed appeared as a witness for the defense and promised to accept him after his release.

Yamaguchi, who entered the courtroom with his long hair—once streaked with blonde—cut short to a shaved head, bowed deeply toward the presiding judge, Terasawa, after she explained the reasons for the sentence and said, “That is all.”

Although Yamaguchi continued to insist that he only committed the crimes because of alcohol and that he liked little children, the question remains whether this time he can truly overcome the temptation of alcohol and rehabilitate so that no new victims will emerge.