Japanese Politician Put on Probation for Sex Assault

Former Osaka Gov. Isamu “Knock” Yokoyama was sentenced Thursday to a suspended 18-month prison term for groping a 21-year-old campaign worker, a penalty whose leniency drew scorn from many people in a nation where sexual assault and harassment laws are notoriously weak.

The comedian-turned-politician had branded the worker a liar when she charged him with sexual assault, but he later admitted his guilt:

“I stroked her thighs, but because she did not resist, I escalated it,” Yokoyama told the court.

The upshot of the sentence, suspended for three years, is that Yokoyama, 68, will be on probation and won’t have to serve time as long as he remains on good behavior.

Even rapists still can easily get away without prison sentences on a first conviction, far less punishment than robbers routinely receive in Japan. (Taking property with “strong force” usually gets a five-year sentence, which is rarely suspended, whereas a rape conviction draws two years, with a good chance of suspension if the criminal doesn’t have a record.)

“If this is viewed as a test case [of sexual harassment], I can’t stand it,” said Mariko Mitsui, a lecturer at Hosei University’s faculty of law.

Fledgling Efforts to Promote Awareness

The government and Japanese companies have begun fledgling efforts aimed at defining sexual harassment and promoting awareness. Laws have recently been adopted to prevent stalking. Police have become more aggressive about arresting so-called chikan--molesters that grope women in subways packed so tight there’s barely room to breathe.

Still, attitudes are hard to change, particularly in a country where there are only tiny numbers of female executives and professionals, and women who work often are relegated to a clear second tier, answering phones and serving tea to their bosses. At a recent news conference in Nagoya, during which the police briefed a small group of male reporters about the arrest of a notorious chikan who had targeted one young woman in particular, one of the first questions was, “Was she cute?” (“Yes, she was cute,” was the answer.)

One reason Yokoyama received such a light sentence: The court thought that he already had paid a social penalty by losing face and by resigning his post as governor in December, when he was indicted, Mitsui said.

He was assessed a $102,000 fine in a civil suit filed by his accuser, a university student. He didn’t defend himself in the suit, which many Japanese felt was akin to admitting guilt.

The woman, who was not identified by the Japanese media although she filed the suit in her own name, reportedly admired Yokoyama and went to work part time for his reelection campaign. She charged that the governor groped the lower half of her body for 30 minutes in April 1999 while in the back seat of a campaign van.

Some Disagree With Court’s Logic

Mitsui assailed the criminal court’s logic as ridiculous. “ ‘Knock’ took advantage of his post, which is the top of a local administration, and went over and insulted a woman who was in a weak, part-time position,” she said. “I think he should get a prison sentence and be sanctioned properly.”

Kiyomi Tsujimoto, a lower-house parliament member from Osaka, agreed. “Not only was his action itself a crime, his response after that was bad: He denied the fact, and he insulted the victim,” she said.

Several residents interviewed in downtown Tokyo concurred. “Thinking about the girl’s psychological damage, ‘Knock’ Yokoyama is unforgivable,” said Yumiko Nakamura, 24, a female sales representative at a telecommunications company.

Hidehiro Yamamoto, 40, a government official, also thought Yokoyama deserved a prison sentence. “I always take care not to say anything that sounds like harassment, and also take care not to ask female workers too much to make tea, as anything could be interpreted as sexual harassment of women,” he said.

On the other hand, Mizuho Fukushima, a lawyer and parliament member in Japan’s upper house, said she thought the sentence was reasonable. The greater gain was that the court “made a decision that he was not innocent--and that is a very big case in Japan.”

Moreover, men may think twice about things they might have once easily gotten away with if they know that it could cost them their job and a criminal trial. The case also encourages young women to speak up and charge their aggressors, Fukushima said. “In this case, Japanese women knocked down ‘Knock,’ ” she said.