【High School Girl Trial – Part 1】41-Year-Old Defendant Says He Planned to Marry 15-Year-Old Girl
He took a high school girl with him for four days
“I was thinking about marrying A,” the defendant told the court. “I planned to make some kind of move when she graduated from high school.”
The 41-year-old man, who was arrested for taking a then-15-year-old girl (referred to as A) with him after she expressed a desire to die, made this shocking statement during his trial—claiming that he had been thinking about a future with her.
“On May 16, 2025, the Chiba Prefectural Police arrested Jun Suminaka (41), a resident of Aichi Prefecture, on suspicion of abducting a minor. Suminaka allegedly met A, a 15-year-old high school student, through a chat app, and used her suicidal thoughts to lure her out. He is accused of taking her along with him from May 13 to 16, staying in hotels together during that time,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs desk.
A’s mother filed a missing person report on the night of May 13. After reviewing security camera footage, investigators identified Suminaka as the suspect. Prosecutors formally charged him on June 6 with abducting a minor, later filing two additional indictments for non-consensual sexual acts.
The second hearing in the case was held on September 9 at the Chiba District Court, where Suminaka took the stand for questioning. Responding to his lawyer, he explained how he first met A and how their relationship deepened.
“Around last summer, my workplace environment changed when my supervisor was replaced. I couldn’t adjust to the change and started feeling like I was falling apart. Around the end of last year, I even consulted with the company’s counseling office, but nothing changed.”
While struggling with workplace stress, Suminaka said he met A through a random chat app.
“I met A in April this year. At first, we talked a few times a day about hobbies and small things, but gradually, our conversations became more frequent. Over time, A began to rely on me emotionally and told me she wanted me to rely on her, too.
I’ve always been afraid to depend on others or show weakness, so at first, I was hesitant. But as I began to open up to A little by little, our chats became a place where I felt safe.”
The two met in person for the first time in late April—and, according to testimony, engaged in sexual intercourse that same day.
To A, Who Said “I Want to Die”
When asked by his defense attorney, “There is a significant age difference between you and A. How did you view that?” the defendant, Jun Suminaka, responded:
“Before and even after meeting A, I was constantly anxious about whether she would really accept me. But as we talked in person, she gradually began to lean on me physically, and I felt she was accepting who I was. I did struggle with the idea that having a sexual relationship would be legally problematic, but I acted on it because I wanted to confirm whether our relationship was genuine.”
Suminaka testified that he came to believe he wanted to stay with A forever. When asked how he viewed his relationship with her, he reiterated, “I was thinking about marriage,” and added:
“My children were still in school, so I was planning to ask my wife for a divorce once things had settled down.”
At the time, A was reportedly struggling with family issues and had even attempted suicide. While Suminaka said he tried to encourage her—telling her, “You should try different things during high school and find your dream”—he also admitted to telling her, “If you ever feel like you’ve reached your limit, I’ll die with you.”
Explaining his mindset at the time, he said:
“I was dealing with my own problems at work and had suicidal thoughts myself. I was in a state where I could accept death at any time. I also understood that taking her away without her parents’ consent was a crime.”
When Suminaka told A, “If we’re going to die, I’ll leave everything behind and go with you,” she reportedly hesitated—showing signs that she was not fully committed to following through with the suicide plan.
“No Need for Protection — We Were Going to Die Anyway”
Then, on the morning of May 13, during a LINE call that had continued from the previous night, A tearfully said, “I don’t want to go to school.” In response, the defendant Suminaka replied, “I’ll come see you,” and later stated that he had made the following resolve at that moment.
“I wanted to show through my actions that I was serious about my decision to die. I called my company to take the day off and immediately took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. I didn’t have time to leave a note for my family, but when I left home, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and that I had escaped from the responsibilities I was carrying.”
When asked by the prosecutor, “What were your feelings when you headed to Tokyo on the morning of the 13th?”, he claimed that he had gone there with extraordinary determination, saying, “I intended to dedicate my life to Mr. A.”
Suminaka reportedly instructed A to turn off her phone so her location couldn’t be tracked, and he switched off his own device as well before heading to their meeting place at Akihabara Station. When they met, A was still wearing her school uniform, so they went to a nearby hotel for her to change clothes. It was there that Suminaka immediately engaged in sexual intercourse with her.
Although A asked him to use protection, Suminaka refused. Prosecutors argued that the lack of contraception indicated there was no valid consent.
“The defendant met the victim on May 13 and took her to a hotel near Akihabara Station, where she asked him to use protection,” the prosecutor stated. “However, he persuaded her by saying, ‘We’re going to die anyway, so there’s no need to worry about contraception,’ and proceeded to have unprotected intercourse. He continued to do so afterward as well.”
After leaving the hotel, the two boarded a Shinkansen from Tokyo Station bound for Sendai.
Interview, text, and photos： Ryo Nakahira