Fukuoka man handed suspended term over violent escalator sexual assault

FUKUOKA (TR) – The Fukuoka District Court last month handed a suspended sentence to a 24-year-old former company employee accused of violently sexually assaulting and injuring a woman at a commercial facility in Fukuoka City’s bustling Tenjin district, reports RKB Mainichi Broadcasting (Sep. 1).

On August 6, presiding judge Yoshifumi Mori sentenced Shoichi Inoue to three years in prison, suspended for five years with probationary supervision. Prosecutors had sought a four-year prison term.

Early on the morning of December 4, 2025, Inoue spotted a woman in her 20s walking alone on the street and repeatedly propositioned her, saying, “Let’s go to a hotel.” When she ignored his advances, he shoved her onto the up-escalator of a nearby commercial facility, causing her to fall.

Upon reaching the second-floor landing, Inoue pushed the victim down, choked her by the neck, and rendered her unable to resist. He then forcibly kissed her on the lips and groped her buttocks. The woman sustained minor injuries to her neck and legs.

Psychological trauma

During the trial, prosecutors condemned the unprovoked attack as “relentless, despicable, and malicious,” completely ignoring the victim’s dignity. They highlighted her severe psychological trauma, noting she now suffers from insomnia, loss of appetite, and a debilitating fear of leaving her home or having anyone walk behind her.

Judge Mori sharply criticized the defendant’s actions, emphasizing the physical danger of the assault. “Pushing someone onto an escalator, where clothing can become caught and cause serious injury, is highly dangerous, as is choking the victim by the neck,” the judge said. He dismissed Inoue’s motive of fulfilling selfish sexual desires as “short-sighted” and leaving “no room for leniency.”

Rehabilitation program

However, the court ultimately opted against sending Inoue to prison.

In handing down the suspended sentence, judge Mori cited several mitigating factors: the attack was not premeditated, the physical injuries were relatively minor, and the nature of the indecent assault did not reach the absolute worst category for similar cases.

The judge also noted that Inoue had admitted to the charges, paid the victim 1 million yen in partial compensation, had no prior criminal record, and is enrolled in a rehabilitation program under his parents’ strict supervision.

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福冈（TR）——据RKB每日放送（9月1日）报道，福冈地方法院上个月对一名24岁的前公司雇员判处缓刑，该雇员被控在福冈市繁华的天神地区的一家商业设施内暴力性侵并伤害一名女子。

8月6日，主审法官森义文判处井上昭一三年有期徒刑，缓刑五年，并接受监管。检方此前要求判处四年有期徒刑。

2025年12月4日清晨，井上看到一名20多岁的女子独自走在街上，便反复向她搭讪，说：“我们去酒店吧。”女子没有理会他的示好，井上便将她推到附近一家商业设施的上行扶梯上，导致她摔倒。

到达二楼平台后，井上将受害者推倒在地，掐住她的脖子，使她无法反抗。随后，他强吻了她的嘴唇，并抚摸了她的臀部。该女子颈部和腿部受了轻伤。

心理创伤

庭审期间，检方谴责这起无端袭击“残忍、卑鄙、恶毒”，完全无视受害者的尊严。他们着重指出受害者遭受了严重的心理创伤，如今她饱受失眠、食欲不振以及出门或被人尾随的极度恐惧的折磨。

森法官严厉批评了被告的行为，强调了袭击造成的身体危险。“将人推上自动扶梯，衣服可能被勾住造成严重伤害，这是极其危险的，掐住受害者的脖子也是如此，”法官说道。他认为井上满足自私性欲的动机“目光短浅”，不容宽恕。

康复计划

然而，法院最终决定不将井上送进监狱。

在宣判缓刑时，莫里法官列举了几个减轻处罚的因素：袭击并非预谋，身体伤害相对较轻，而且猥亵行为的性质并未达到类似案件中最严重的程度。

法官还指出，井上承认了指控，向受害者支付了100万日元的部分赔偿金，此前没有犯罪记录，目前正在父母的严格监督下参加康复计划。

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