A man in his 30s in Japan who sexually assaulted his six-year-old biological daughter and even filmed her has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Japanese society is outraged that the punishment is too minor compared to the crime.
According to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on the 8th (local time), the Tokushima District Court sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 30s, to 10 years in prison after he was accused of habitually sexually assaulting his biological daughter (a crime of forced sexual intercourse under the Japanese Penal Code).
This falls short of the 12-year prison sentence sought by prosecutors earlier.
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▲ An article published in Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun
According to the ruling, Miss A is accused of sexually assaulting her biological daughter (then 2021 years old) at her home on six occasions between July 7 and September 19, 9, and illegally filming her with her smartphone.
He committed crimes mainly while his wife was away, and he even committed violent crimes at night next to his family.
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▲ Tokushima District Court
Judge Koji Takahashi said, "The defendant's actions are habitual, the intent to commit the crime is heinous, and it is a very despicable crime that tramples on his character," and "even though he expressed his dislike for his daughter, he committed sexual violence on the condition that he would 'send her to school.'"
However, the reason for sentencing was that "Mr. A admitted and reflected on his crimes."
When the verdict became known in the media, there was outcry in Japan, saying that the punishment handed down to Mr. A was light.
Local users voiced criticism, such as "Why don't you disclose the face and real name of this heinous sex offender," "The sentence was commuted to two years even though it was a despicable crime," "Even if the father is released from prison, the daughter will only be 2 years old," and "The court should not follow past precedents and put the child first."
Some critics called for an immediate change in the law, saying, "The maximum legal threshold for such crimes should be raised to at least three times, otherwise crimes will not decrease."
(Photo = Yomiuri Shimbun homepage capture)