Ito Junya Emerges Victorious: Shocking Twist in High-Profile Case as Charges Dropped
Junya Ito’s Sexual Assault Allegations: Lawyer Haruo Kitamura Weighs In
Junya Ito, a forward for the Japan national team, was recently involved in a highly publicized sexual assault case. Despite the allegations, neither Ito nor the woman were indicted. Lawyer Haruo Kitamura has shared his insights on the case, stating that Ito “won the first round completely” and that this outcome is “unusual.”
Image: Junya Ito in action on the field.
Junya Ito scored a goal in the match against China on the 5th, marking his return to the Japanese national team after withdrawing from the Asian Cup due to the allegations. Ito and the woman had filed lawsuits against each other, but in August, neither was indicted. Ito is also suing the editor-in-chief and reporters of Shukan Shincho for defamation.
Lawyer Haruo Kitamura expressed his opinion on Ito’s dispute on his YouTube channel, stating that the prosecution’s decision not to indict was due to insufficient evidence. Kitamura explained that it is rare for a victim of a sexual crime to not be listened to at all, and that in many cases, the investigative authorities will base the case on the victim’s statement and proceed to indictment.
Kitamura noted that it is unusual for the prosecutors to decide that the woman’s story couldn’t be trusted, suggesting that there may have been video and audio evidence that contradicted her claims. He stated that the police and prosecutors may have realized that it would be difficult to believe everything the woman said and bring charges against her.
Kitamura also discussed the possibility of the woman being charged with false accusation, but noted that the crime of false accusation requires intentionally making a false statement to frame someone for a crime. He stated that there is no objective evidence remaining about the main part of the crime, and that the prosecution had to conclude that there was not enough clear evidence to bring charges as a crime.
Kitamura’s full analysis can be found on his YouTube channel, where he also shares his predictions for future developments in the civil lawsuit.