Gang rapists found guilty
From the Mainichi Shinbun:
KYOTO — Three former members of Kyoto University’s American football team were convicted of gang-raping two female university students in a ruling at a court here on Tuesday.
The Kyoto District Court sentenced 24-year-old defendant Ryo Ikeguchi to 5 1/2 years’ imprisonment, while the other two defendants, Junpei Shirai and Masahiro Kido, avoided jail with suspended prison sentences.
Shirai, 24, was handed a three-year sentence, suspended for five years, while Kido, 22, was handed a 2 1/2-year sentence, suspended for four years.
According to the ruling, the three defendants held a party at Kido’s home with three female university students on the evening of Dec. 22, 2005. Between about 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Ikeguchi raped a 20-year-old student who was heavily drunk, and the other defendants molested her, the court heard.
Ikeguchi was also convicted of raping another drunken 20-year-old student at about 3:40 a.m.
That seems like some pretty light sentencing for men found guilty of gang rape. Perhaps the fact that alcohol was involved factored into the judge’s decision. After all, if a girl passes out after drinking at a guy’s apartment, she’s basically saying “have your way with me”, right?
