On August 25, 2023, the Ikebukuro Police Station in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, arrested two suspects suspected of sexually assaulting a man in his 20s. The two arrested were Shuya Hara (43) and Takeshi Nakabayashi (37), both company employees who also ran a custom shop for gay men.
According to the police investigation, last July, while working in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, they found a drunken man who took him to a nearby hotel without the other party's knowledge and committed sexual violence against him.
According to media reports, the victim was drinking at a bar near Ikebukuro Station and fell unconscious on the way due to an overdose. Hara Xiu and Nakabayashi Qiang happened to pass by and saw him. They first pretended to be concerned about his situation, then took the opportunity to carry him to a taxi and head to the hotel.
Inside the hotel, they took turns sexually assaulting the victims and filming videos with their phones. Afterwards, they also returned the victim to Ikebukuro Station and gave him a business card from the custom shop, saying that he could contact them if he was interested.
When the victim returned home, he found himself with injuries and foreign objects on his body and felt unwell. He vaguely remembered what someone had done to him, but he couldn't remember the specifics. He decided to go to the hospital for a check-up and called the police. Police identified Shuya Hara and Takeshi Nakabayashi by obtaining surveillance footage from taxis and hotels, as well as call records on the victims' mobile phones, and issued arrest warrants for them in March.
After his arrest, Nakabayashi admitted his crime and expressed regret. However, Hara also firmly denied that he had the intention to rape, and claimed that he wanted to poach the victim to work in his custom shop. He said: "I saw that he was handsome and drunk and wanted to help him. I didn't force him to do anything and he enjoyed it. I gave him his business card because I felt he had the potential to make money in our custom shop. ”
Such rhetoric caused public outrage and ridicule. Many netizens left messages on social media: "What is the logic of this? Sexual assault is sexual assault, regardless of who the victim is. "This kind of person has no repentance at all, and only excuses himself." "Such people deserve heavy sentences to give them a taste of sexual assault."
It is reported that Yuan Xiuye and Zhonglin Qiang have now been formally indicted and will be tried in court. If found guilty, they face up to 10 years in prison. This matter has aroused widespread concern and discussion in the society, especially the understanding and prevention of male sexual assault. Many believe that male sexual assault is an invisible form of violence that is often ignored or trivialized.
Victims are often afraid or reluctant to call the police for fear of being ridiculed or discriminated against. And perpetrators often take advantage of the psychology of the victims to think they can get away with it. This incident reveals the seriousness and harm of male sexual assault, and also reminds the public to pay attention to this issue, give more support and protection to victims, and at the same time severely punish perpetrators and uphold the rule of law and justice.
This incident also reflects some problems and contradictions in Japanese society, such as alcohol culture, customs industry, and attitudes towards homosexuality. Japan is a country with a high alcohol consumption and drinking is considered a way to socialize and relax. However, excessive drinking can also bring some risks and consequences, such as affecting physical health, causing traffic accidents, triggering violent conflicts, etc. In this case, the victim lost consciousness and prevention ability because he drank too much, and became the target of the perpetrator. This shows that drinking should be moderate, pay attention to your own safety, and do not trust strangers.
Japan's custom industry is also a controversial topic, especially for gay shops. These shops often engage in illegal and unethical practices, such as forcing or luring young people into sexual services, using violence or threats to control employees, and evading taxes and regulations. In this case, the perpetrator used his custom shop as a pretense to sexually assault and tried to recruit the victim to work in his shop.
This illustrates the need for more regulation and regulation in the custom industry to prevent similar cases. Japan's attitude towards homosexuality is also a complex issue, and although Japan has a certain degree of openness and tolerance, homosexuality still faces some discrimination and prejudice.
In this case, the victim was violated by the perpetrator because he was gay, and may be worried that his identity would be exposed and affect his life and work. This shows that homosexuality needs more respect and equality and should not be the object of attack or exploitation by anyone.
In short, this incident is a shocking and sad event, and a lesson worthy of reflection and vigilance. We should draw experience and lessons from this, enhance our legal awareness and security awareness, protect the rights and dignity of ourselves and others, and at the same time pay attention to social problems and contradictions and promote social progress and development.