Thursday, December 19, 2019, 15:00 - 16:00
"Verdict Due in High-Profile Rape Case"
Shiori Ito, Journalist
Yukiko Tsunoda and Tomoko Murata, Attorney at Law
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English and Japanese with English interpretation.
One evening in 2015 Shiori Ito went for a sushi dinner with a man she thought might help her budding career as a journalist. Hours later she says she awoke in an upscale Tokyo hotel to find the man raping her. The man she accuses of the assault is Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a former reporter with broadcaster TBS. He says the encounter was consensual.
Ito pushed the police to investigate her complaint and they did but prosecutors dropped the case in 2016 in circumstances that some have found murky. Ito has since become a campaigner on rape issues while pursuing her career as a journalist. She filed a damages lawsuit against Yamaguchi, demanding ¥11 million in compensation. He filed a countersuit, alleging Ito had damaged his reputation.
A denouement of sorts will be reached on Dec 18th when the Tokyo District Court rules on the suit. Ito will come to the FCCJ afterwards to discuss the verdict and its implications in a case that has raised many serious issues, including the difficulty of proving rape and the wide discretionary powers of Japanese prosecutors, which mean that the experiences of victims are rarely heard in court.
Doors open for TV crews only at 14:30, all others at 14:45.Please reserve in advance, 03-3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation. Livestreaming of press conferences are available on our website(http://www.fccj.or.jp).
*Due to space restrictions, please note there will be a limited number of reservations to attend. FCCJ members, including TV cameras, will have priority for the reservation and seating/setting positions and one TV camera for affiliate networks.
Professional Activities Committee