Ex-cop fined Y300,000 for running teenage prostitution in Fukuoka

Wednesday 27th August, 09:58 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 71 Total Comments Show All

DanManjt at 11:57 PM JST - 28th August

rtrhead1

You offer an explanation for your outrage. I get that you and others are outraged. That is not my point.

I am asking you not to explain why you are outraged at what happened. I ask you to offer an explanation for what happened. I ask you to explain:

Why did the judge give this ruling?

If you simply wish to stamp your feet, shake your fists, and gnash your teeth, well, good luck with that.
lipscombe at 12:28 AM JST - 29th August

I am asking you not to explain why you are outraged at what happened. I ask you to offer an explanation for what happened. I ask you to explain:

Why did the judge give this ruling?

If you simply wish to stamp your feet, shake your fists, and gnash your teeth, well, good luck with that.

why did the judge give this ruling? what? you ask him. if I had to make a guess I would say because he is an idiot. it does not make the injustice or sense of outrage that obviously passed you by any less correct. what do you recommend I do other than gnash my teeth? try to phone the judge? smash some koban windows? talk sense man
Molenir at 01:10 AM JST - 29th August

As with others, I too am outraged by this pathetic excuse at what passes for justice. The man is a pimp, running a prostitution business on the side, while he is a police sergeant sworn to uphold the law. For this, he gets a slap on the wrist and a minimal fine. Reading this, I just have to shake my head at the apparent disconnect between what a rational person would think, and what the Japanese judges think. Which is basically, if you're Japanese, unless you actually murder someone, you should never serve time, you should always get a suspended sentence.
DanManjt at 02:31 AM JST - 29th August

Lipscombe

You really assume too much. You have no idea what I think about this ruling, whether it is just or unjust, or whether I am outraged or not.

You can be sure, though, that I am exercising my reason. And my exercise of reason tells me this: your reply that the judge made his decision "because is an idiot" is as sophomoric as it is fatuous. It lacks not only any understanding of how Japan works;

It rejects any attempt to understand.

To me, this is a shame.

You post on this site frequently, so perhaps you live in Japan, or have lived in Japan, for some meaningful period of time. Or you have a more than casual interest in Japan for some other reason. Whatever the reason, I will assume that you do have more than a casual interest in Japan.

Well, if you do have more than a casual interest, you should take the the time to understand what is going on.

Rather then shout "idiot" at things you do not understand.
lipscombe at 08:58 AM JST - 29th August

well, then danmajit, enlighten us. I live in Japan and have done for over 10 years. it does not mean I have an in depth understanding of how the criminal justice system works nor should it, use some common sense. what annoys me are the pedantic writings of someone who spends his time here ridiculing and calling out other peoples posts without giving any opinion to the actual news item itself.
browny1 at 09:42 AM JST - 29th August

danmajit - a simple re-reading of your own earlier postings may throw a little more light on your colourful choice of the words sophomoric & fatuous.

Referring to people as blowhards offering no explanations, while offering none yourself hardly adds substance to your cause.

In fact lipscombe's explanation "because he is an idiot" is actually valid as a brief overview from his perspective based on the information available. Further analysis may well be required, but it's a good starting point.

I am uncomfortable in suggesting - but have no difficulty in doing such - that many of the current crop of the constabulary and judiciary, while not possessing a monopoly on idiocy. have shown their true colours on innumerable occasions, hence creating reasonable suspicion that they well may be worthy candidates.

And my explanation - I posted earlier.
lipscombe at 09:52 AM JST - 29th August

It lacks not only any understanding of how Japan works;

wrong. if you lived in Japan and paid taxes that contribute to the salaries of these idiots you might also have an opinion
DanManjt at 09:52 AM JST - 29th August

Your ad hominem is irrelevant, other than showing pretty clearly how tenuous your position, for lack of a better word, is. But I am, if anything, persistent.

So here it is:

you've lived in Japan for a decade. You should know how it works. One such as you does not need an "in depth understanding" of the criminal justice system to make sense of this ruling. One such as you need only muster the moral courage to put aside your moral outrage, and muster your intellect to put aside the way you want Japan to work.

Just use what you know about Japan to make sense of this. And if "idiot" is all you can come up with, well....
nigelboy at 10:08 AM JST - 29th August

Well. For starters, the prosecution seeked for two years in prison and a 300,000 yen fine. And based on my knowledge of the further repercussions of these public officials committing crimes, most likely his pension was taken away as well. Hence, that is what is meant by "already received sanction in society "

Did he plead guilty? Was he remorseful throughout the trial or did he continually insist on his innocense? Those may be some factors that may have contributed to the ruling.
ColAmerica at 10:12 AM JST - 29th August

This guy should be neutered like a naughty dog taht can`t behave.

That might cool him down a bit, the perverted thug.
DanManjt at 01:12 PM JST - 29th August

browny1

Thank you for your reply.

As I mentioned with my first post on this thread no one here offered any explanation for this sentencing other than one poster, you.

Here is what you wrote:

Police are law enforcement officers. Simple. They pledge to uphold the law. Simple. Society expects such. Simple. They are not beyond the law. Simple. If they break the law then punishment should be meted out in accordance with the law. Simple. Extraneous conditions - oh, he's already suffering because he can't get a good job now - are irrelevant.

I think this analysis, however, falls short of explaining what happened. I think this is so largely because it possesses a hidden assumption that upon exposure do not bear up well to scrutiny. The specific hidden and erroneous assumption is that Japan is a nation of laws and not men.

It is not.

Let me say that again: Japan is not a nations of laws. It is a nation of men.

Therefore, policemen do not pledge to uphold the law. Society expects the police to enforce order -- at their discretion. They are neither bond by nor beyond the law, because the law is not primarily that which governs their behavior. When people "break the law," ots really about breaking of convention, the tearing of the social fabric, and the failure to perform their duty. Not uphold the law or legally mandated proscriptions. There is no concept of the abuse of power in Japan. And thus, ultimately, "extraneous condition" as you so unaptly term the unwritten and uncodified guiding principles upon which Japanese , are the what counts.

Not laws.

That explains the sentencing.
browny1 at 05:11 PM JST - 29th August

Danmanjt -

Thanks for your comments.

It seems your analysis while entertaining as a "piece" digresses from the, shall we say, "commmon issue at hand - namely police officers keeping within the bounds of their job descriptions and courts supporting such", and grinds out a tortured tutorial in the philosophy of law(or non-law). While such a debate has it's merits, often scratching too deep below the surface reveals only rocks.

And actually my explanation of the court outcome was not what you quoted. My proffering was a few sentences earlier where I inferred that the decision handed down suggests a coziness between prosecutors, police & judiciary that displays a reluctancy to be severe with "one of their own".

Perhaps this is, as you referred to,one of the guiding principles of the Japanese. Which certainly in a court of LAW(which as a matter-of-fact is what a court is - even here in Japan) is extraneous in the least.

And nowhere have I begun to allude to the notion that Japan is a nation of Laws. Where did you garner that from? A comment is just that, a comment.Everything doesn't have to be a treatise.

Perhaps further discussion is warranted on your Japan is a nation of MEN statement. So many doors there I don't know which to knock on first.

The subject at hand, is the appropriate penalty for an at the time serving sergeant of the police force, procuring young girls with the intent of profitting from their sexual services with clients set up by the said.

Simple.
lipscombe at 08:41 PM JST - 29th August

I'll take it down to your level danmanjt so you cannunderstand it. the judge chose this ridiculous sentence because he is a 'blowhard' I find it laughable that you can try to lambast me for calling the judge an idiot and failing to understand the japanese legal system after 10 years whilst you feel its perfectly okay to sum up millenia of worldwide religious history with the charming phrase 'blowhards' still, good to see you started to use some big words after your inital fumble off the blocks.
jwills79 at 12:36 AM JST - 30th August

I think it is because the police officer promised to name all the tricks (customers). Considering his ex-job they probably include ex coworkers and government officials.

Japan is real good about forgetting s**t so they won't loose face. Selective amnesia is what they call it in the States. They don't want their local police force to look bad.
Blue_Tiger at 10:52 PM JST - 1st September

Another slap on the wrist for a criminal who deserved so much more and harsher. Too bad for the J-Public....