Photo/Illutration Rina Gonoi, a former Ground Self-Defense Force member, speaks to reporters in front of the Fukushima District Court on Dec. 12 after the verdict was handed down in a sexual assault criminal lawsuit. (Yukiko Sakamoto)

The prison sentences were finalized on Dec. 27 for three former Ground Self-Defense Force members who were found guilty of indecently assaulting their female subordinate.

The three were handed two-year prison sentences, suspended for four years. 

Neither the prosecutor nor the defendants filed an appeal before the deadline on Dec. 26.

The Fukushima District Court handed down the sentences to Shutaro Shibuya, 31, Akito Sekine, 30, and Yusuke Kimezawa, 29. The three men were superiors of Rina Gonoi, 24, who was stationed at the GSDF’s Camp Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture at the time.

According to the court’s ruling, the three men sexually assaulted Gonoi while eating and drinking at a training facility in Betsukai, Hokkaido, on the night of Aug. 3, 2021.

They used a martial arts technique to push Gonoi onto a bed, placing their bodies over her, and then engaged in indecent acts, such as shaking their hips and pressing their crotches against her over her clothing.

After the sentences were finalized, Gonoi said, “I’m really exhausted and it’s been a long journey. I’m relieved that the trial, which took years off my life, is finally over.

“(The finalization of the guilty verdict) means a lot because it could tell society that ‘what’s wrong is wrong’ and has been recognized in court,” she said.

She also expressed her hope that the defendants would sincerely reflect on what they did and live in a manner that does not harm others in the future.

Separately, Gonoi has filed a civil lawsuit at the Yokohama District Court seeking damages from the defendants and the government for the sexual assault. The focus in this case now turns to civil liabilities.

(This article was written by Nobuyuki Takiguchi and Amane Shimazaki.)

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