In absentia.

Message from a sex crime victim

On May 21 Japan introduced a new criminal justice system called saiban-in seido （裁判員制度）, a lay judge system. Under this system ordinary citizens chosen by lot participate in the process of criminal trial along with professional judges, in certain cases such as murder. However the new system is quite unpopular among people, meanwhile there is a lot of arguments from the perspective of constitutionality; some members of the National Diet have already started activities with a view to suspending the lay judge law [1].

Yomiuri Shimbun published an article on the lay judge system in its May 6 Kyushu edition [2]. The article pointed out that privacy infomation on victims of sexual assault cases, which are dealt with under the system, may spread widely during the selection process of lay judges. Court officials must question many candidates, up to some 100 per case, to ensure that lay judges have no connection to the case; so, according to the article, it is unavoidable that officials tell them names of sexual assault victims and details of the case.

Under the law, candidates have no obligation to keep secret information they get during the process, unless they are actually chosen to participate in the trial. In Japan many people still have ingrained prejudice against sex crime victims; there is a possibiliy that people slander the victims on the internet, and even make another sexual assault on them, using the leaked information.

Asia Japan Women’s Resource Center, a feminist group in Japan, is calling for protection of sex crime victims’ privacy and security in the lay judge system. On May 25, the website of this group published a message from a woman who once suffered damege in sexual assault [3].

わたし自身の経験ですが、今ほど普及していなかったにも関わらず、インターネットでさんざん中傷され、
「かわいいのか」と性的な興味を抱かれたり、
「レイプされた女なら何をしてもいい」と人間扱いされず、とても怖い思いをしました。見知らぬ人がわざわざ見に来て指をさされ、ひそひそ噂されたりしたこともありました。
知人から、脅迫もされました。おかしな電話もたくさんかかってきました。
友だちとはぎくしゃくしたり、知らない人にあれこれ詮索されたりしました。今では、実家に帰ることさえも苦痛で、昔からの友だちとの絆も壊れてしまいました。
とても心配でなのが、弱っている被害者につけこんだ第三者により、さらに性被害を受ける危険性があるということです。
実際にそういう被害を受けた被害者も数多くいます。

To tell my own experience, I was ruthlessly slandered on the internet in the times when the web spread less than now. Some of them showed me sexual interest, saying “Is she pretty?” Others regarded me inhumanely, saying “We’re allowed to do anything against a raped woman!” I felt quite terrible. Once strangers came to watch me, pointed finger at me and whispered rumor.
In addition, I was threatened by an acquaintance and got a lot of strange phone call.
Relationship with my friends turned into awkward one, meanwhile strangers pried into various things. Now even returning to my parents’ home causes me pain; my bonds with my old friends have been destroyed.
What I’m seriously concerned about is a danger that victims may suffer another sexual assault by third parties who take advantage of victims’ weakened condition.
There is actually a lot of victims who suffered such damage.

The anonymous author criticized the lay judge system, saying the system lacks consideration for human rights of sexual assault victims. Referring to the selection process, she argues:

選任手続きのどの段階で知らせるのか、どれだけの人数が知る可能性があるのか、一定の、明確な指針はありません。
配慮はするということですが、被害者の個人情報を知らせる候補者の人数が少なければいいというものではありません。

守秘義務のない候補者のうち、一人でも、インターネットに流したり、誰かに話すことで、さらに不特定多数の人が知る可能性があります。
損害賠償のことが記事の中で触れられていますが、一度出てしまった情報はひとり歩きし、取り消す手段がなく、とりかえしがつきません。
日常生活で傷ついて追い詰められていく現実は、金銭ではとりかえしがつきませんし、何よりあまりに傷つきすぎて訴訟をおこす気力さえないのが現実だと思います。

世間の理解がまだまだ足りないため、自分が被害者であると周囲に知れ渡ることで、被害者は、偏見、好奇の目にさらされ続け、多大な苦痛を受けます。
守秘義務なくこのまま運用されることで、二次被害が、永遠に絶え間なく続くことを決定づけるようなものです。

At what phase of the selection process, how many people know [personal infomation about sexual assault victims] ? There are no definate, clear guidelines.
Although I heard some consideration would be taken, the problem isn’t in the number of candidates who could know personal infomation about the victims.

If the information was released on the internet or told to someone by only one of candidates who have no obligation to keep secret, many and various people could know it further.
Reparation for the damage is referred to in the [Yomiuri Shimbun] article. Once, however, information is made public, it spreads by itself and cannot be removed; no reparation available.
With money, one cannot recover from the reality in which [victims] are hurt and forced into a corner. Above all, I think, they are hurt too deeply to file a lawsuit.

The public still lacks enough understanding [about sex crime]; so victims will be open to prejudice and prying eyes, thus suffering great pain, if the fact that they are victims is known to those around them.
If the system is used in this manner, lacking obligation to keep secret, it is like a decision to let secondary victimization last forever and perpetually.

The author also referred to the trial process. She emphasizes sexual assault victims don’t wish evidence of crime to be seen by anyone, even judiciary officials.

……裁判員は、被害者や、被告人への質問もできると聞きました。
大勢の傍聴人がいる中、一般市民である裁判員に、被害者にとって見られたくない証拠を見られ、あれこれ質問されるなんて、事件から長年たっている私でも、考えただけで、吐きそうです。

…I heard lay judges can question victims and the accused.
Although I have spent many years since the incident, it’s sickening for me just to imagine that victims are made to show evidence they don’t wish to be seen, to lay judges who are ordinary citizens, and are questioned by them, with many people hearing.

She concluded that sex crime is too risky to be dealt with under the lay judge system, and expressed concern that the system may fail to make a fair judgement, thus hurting and tormenting the victims further. She emphasized victims’ human rights should be defended by protecting their personal information, so that they can make a decision on their subsequent life without suffering from disadvantage caused by the case.

どんな事情で被害にあっても、悪いのは加害者です。
被害者が悪くないというのは、厳然たる事実です。それでも、性犯罪では、被害者の「落ち度」を責め立てられるのが現状です。

更なる苦痛、世間の偏見、好奇の目、差別、そういったものに、立ち向かうのは、被害者がするべきことではないと思っています。
もっと社会に守って欲しい、強くそう思います。

Under any circumstances, it is perpetrators that should be blamed.
It is the undeniable fact that victims aren’t at fault.
Nevertheless, in cases of sex crime, victims are blamed for their “fault,” for the present.

I don’t think it is victims’ job to confront subsequent torments, prejudice of the public, prying eyes and discrimination.
I seriously wish our society would protect us more.

A sex crime case has already been referred to the lay judge system: on May 22 Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office indicted a former police officer on the allegation of rape resulting in injury. According to indictment, he raped and injured a 22-year-old woman at night, threatening her with cutter [4].

Notes