A Shocking 10 Minutes in Court: Alleged Sexual-Assault Scheme Organizer Attacks the Victim’s Character
Perpetrator sentenced to 12 years in detention (prosecution sought 13 years)
The trial of Retsu Matsuda (27 at the time of his arrest), who is charged with trespassing and non-consensual sexual intercourse for allegedly recruiting someone through a dark side job to sexually assault his former girlfriend, then having the hired perpetrator break into the woman’s home and directing the crime, was held at the Tokyo District Court on July 17.
According to the indictment and other documents, Matsuda posted on an online message board seeking someone who would sexually assault a woman and recruited a perpetrator. He sent Reiya Yamamoto (25 at the time of his arrest), who responded to the posting, the address of A, Matsuda’s former girlfriend, as well as details of the planned crime via social media. On the day of the crime, Yamamoto allegedly entered A’s home disguised as a water utility worker, saying, “I’m here to inspect the water supply,” committed a lewd act, and stole ¥10,000 in cash.
The lay-judge trial of Reiya Yamamoto, the perpetrator, was held on July 9. Those who wish to learn more about this proceeding can read the detailed report published by Friday Digital on July 21, 2025.
“On July 23, perpetrator Yamamoto was sentenced to 12 years in detention, against a prosecution demand of 13 years. During the proceedings, Matsuda gave the bizarre explanation that he had wanted to find out whether A would unlock the automatic door even if Yamamoto arrived at midnight, after Yamamoto had visited A’s home disguised as a water utility worker. Matsuda also refused to delete the data concerning A that remained on his smartphone. Although he has admitted to the charges during questioning, it cannot be said that he has shown remorse.” (National newspaper judicial affairs reporter)
Matsuda appeared in court wearing a tracksuit and with a shaved head. Despite his small stature, he fixed the courtroom with a piercing gaze.
Before the prosecution delivered its closing argument and sentencing recommendation, the victim’s participating attorney read A’s statement expressing her feelings about the impact of the crime.
“Honestly, being involved in this case is painful for me. At the time, I was struggling financially and posted that I wanted someone to support me. Matsuda repeatedly asked me to date him, and I accepted. He provided me with financial assistance, and basically, he was kind, and there were times when we had fun together. He would ask me to let him touch my body in exchange for money, and when I refused, we would sometimes get into arguments.”(The passages in quotation marks that follow are from A’s statement expressing her feelings.)
It was revealed that the relationship between the two had involved money.
Matsuda nodded as he took notes, but perhaps there were parts he found unacceptable; at times, he tilted his head and displayed an expression of dissatisfaction.
She was almost forced into “BL” (Boy’s Love)
A’s statement expressing her feelings continued. After Matsuda allegedly attempted to make her engage in abnormal sexual acts and take an overdose of drugs, A felt that her safety was at risk. She blocked his calls and tried to cut off contact. However,
“Matsuda called my workplace and asked my supervisor about me. He also went to my parents’ home without me telling him the address and demanded that my mother return his cash card.”
His behavior escalated. Even now, A remains frightened by Matsuda’s presence.
“He refused to delete my personal information from his smartphone, and his obsession and desire for revenge have not gone away. If possible, I don’t want him to come back out into society. I want him to remain locked up.”
She called for a severe punishment. The prosecution argued:
“The crime itself was deliberate, carefully planned, and malicious. He has offered irrational explanations, such as claiming that he merely wanted to check whether she would unlock the automatic door.”
The prosecution sought a sentence of 10 years in prison.
When the presiding judge asked Matsuda whether he had anything he wanted to say at the end, Matsuda pleaded:
“There are things I want to say. I’ve written them down, so please let me read from my notes.”
After the judge gave him permission, he launched into a lengthy speech.
“I’m sorry for directing the crime against the victim. But separately, I want the people judging me to hear this. A lied about being afraid of men and deceived me out of money. She was having a lot of fun with other men. Even though we wrote up a contract, she only honored it for the first two or three months. The agreement was supposed to last two years, but that was a lie too. On top of that, the way she treated me got worse. She punched and kicked me, and there were times when she hit me with her bag. She even pressed cigarettes against me, and the scars are still there.”
Matsuda went on to speak about how A allegedly called a male acquaintance and tried to make him engage in BL (Boys’ Love), or words to that effect, and began explaining what BL meant. At one point, the presiding judge warned him, “Please read only what is written in your notes.”
Even after that, he continued voicing his grievances against A.
“I think the victim’s character is rotten, don’t you? I submitted a complaint about A as a victim, but they didn’t accept it. Still, I believe what A has done up to now is criminal. It’s wrong that the victim (A) faces no consequences whatsoever. She’s someone who lies.”
The presiding judge finally interrupted him, asking, “Are you finished?” Only then did Matsuda bring his lengthy speech to an end.
Although he did utter an apology, there appeared to be little sign of remorse as he attempted to justify the despicable crime of arranging sexual violence through a hired perpetrator.
The verdict will be handed down on September 4.