High-Profile Rape Trial of Former Japanese Prosecutor Resumes after Two-Year Pause
A high-profile rape trial involving a former senior Japanese prosecutor has resumed after a two-year suspension, reigniting a case that has drawn attention to sexual assault allegations and the treatment of victims in Japan.
Kentaro Kitagawa, the former head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office, is accused of raping a female colleague in 2018. The woman, who uses the pseudonym Hikari, came forward in 2024, accusing her former boss of sexual assault.
The trial began in October 2024 but was suspended after Kitagawa withdrew his initial admission of guilt and insisted that the encounter was consensual.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Kitagawa acknowledged that sex had taken place but maintained his not-guilty plea, denying that Hikari had been unable to resist, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
His change of plea triggered two years of closed-door proceedings involving the court, prosecution and defence to clarify the issues at the centre of the case.
Hikari has said she was unfamiliar with strong alcohol and lost her memory midway through an office gathering in 2018. She later regained awareness at Kitagawa’s home, where she says he raped her.
In a 2025 interview with AFP, she described the ordeal as a terrifying nightmare, saying fear for her life had left her unable to resist.
She also said she remained silent for a time because Kitagawa pleaded with her not to expose the alleged assault, warning that it could trigger a damaging scandal for the organisation and threatening to harm himself.
The case took another painful turn in 2024, when Hikari said her condition deteriorated after learning that people close to Kitagawa, including an assistant prosecutor she alleges is his lover, had spread malicious rumours about her.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Hikari has repeatedly called for an independent investigation into alleged harassment within prosecutors’ offices nationwide.
Authorities have rejected that demand, opting instead to launch an internal investigation in June. Her separate request for safeguards to ensure a safe working environment was also turned down.
Hikari subsequently resigned from her position in August, leaving the courtroom battle unfolding against a wider dispute over accountability and the protection of those who report sexual misconduct in Japan.
