A Japanese Man Working at a Kindergarten Commits Child Sexual Assault... Worse Than a Beast

Possessed Videos of About 20 Girls on Cell Phone
Committed Crime When Alone with a Girl

A male employee working at a kindergarten in Japan was found to have sexually assaulted a girl under the age of two, sparking outrage in Japanese society. Moreover, it was revealed that this man had filmed and possessed obscene videos of more than 20 girls, prompting heated reactions among local netizens, including calls for him to be castrated.

On the 15th, Japanese media such as TBS reported that Fujiwara Ryo (25), a former employee of a kindergarten located in Saitama Prefecture, was arrested by the police on charges of sexually assaulting a young girl. Fujiwara is suspected of sexually assaulting a girl under two years old at the kindergarten where he worked in March of last year and filming the act using his mobile phone.

Former employee Fujiwara Ryo (25) of a kindergarten located in Saitama Prefecture is accused of sexually assaulting a female child under the age of two at the kindergarten where he worked last March and recording the incident using his mobile phone.
[Photo by TBS]

When the police seized and examined Fujiwara’s smartphone, they discovered inappropriate videos of more than 20 girls. The police believe Fujiwara committed the crimes by taking advantage of moments when he was alone with the victims during work. It is reported that Fujiwara is exercising his right to remain silent during the investigation. The police are continuing to investigate additional offenses by Fujiwara.

Fujiwara was also arrested and prosecuted last month on charges of touching another girl’s body. The media explained that he was arrested again after the previous sexual assault came to light. Although he was previously indicted without detention, he is now undergoing police investigation again. Japanese netizens who learned of this news responded with comments such as, “Child sex crimes must be severely punished,” “Society must show that such crimes will not be tolerated,” and “We can no longer safely entrust children to childcare facilities. Laws should be enacted to punish and castrate offenders.”

Japan’s Increasing Rate of Severe Sentences for Antisocial Crimes

In 2019, following a series of acquittals that defied common sense, sexual violence victims and support organizations organized 'Flower Demonstrations' to demand legal reforms.
[Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News]

In Japan, there is a growing trend toward harsher punishments for sex crimes, including recent cases where rapists received sentences of up to 50 years. Since the introduction of the saiban-in (lay judge) system in 2009, which allows lay judges to express opinions on sentencing, the proportion of severe sentences for antisocial crimes such as rape has increased.

In June last year, Japan’s House of Councillors unanimously passed an amendment to the Penal Code that changed the name of the crime of rape to “non-consensual sexual intercourse” and expanded the scope of sex crimes. The amendment extended the statute of limitations by five years, considering the difficulty victims face in filing complaints immediately after the crime, and effectively abolished the statute of limitations until the victim turns 18. The age of consent was raised from the current “13 years or older” to “16 years or older,” meaning that sexual acts with anyone under 16 are punishable even if consent is given.

New categories of sex crimes were also established. The so-called “grooming sex crime,” which criminalizes “grooming and manipulating children for sexual purposes,” punishes acts such as approaching children and adolescents under 16 for sexual purposes, enticing them, asking them to meet by offering money, or demanding they send obscene photos. Additionally, “voyeurism” (illegal filming), which had previously been lightly punished only under local government ordinances, was newly criminalized under the Penal Code as “filming crime.”

This significant legal reform in Japan, which had been lenient on sex crimes, was triggered by four acquittals in sexual assault cases in 2019. At that time, the Nagoya District Court acquitted a father who sexually assaulted his daughter, stating that “the victim was not in a state where she could strongly resist.” The series of unreasonable acquittals led sexual violence victims and support groups to organize “Flower Demos” to demand legal reforms. After more than three years of deliberation by the Legislative Council, the amendment was prepared and enacted last year.