A Japanese woman named Haruka has sued the state, claiming a prosecutor insulted her and dismissed her rape case without sufficient investigation. She filed the lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on May 22, 2026, seeking ¥5 million in damages for the mental distress caused after being accused of making false statements during a 2023 hearing [1, 2].
During that hearing, the prosecutor told Haruka the alleged assault was "just with the finger and in her mouth" and said she "did not have sex," questioning the credibility of her testimony. Haruka was not allowed to record the hearing or have her lawyer present [1, 2]. She said, "The hardest day of my life was the day I was assaulted. But I felt the same level of deep sense of despair when I was questioned by the prosecutor." [1]
Haruka's lawyer, Yuko Sakurai, reported the prosecutor's conduct to the top prosecutor's office in 2023 and demanded the prosecutor be replaced. However, the complaint was dropped and the case against Haruka was dismissed without further investigation [1, 2]. Sakurai said, "Such careless handling of cases by prosecutors can lead to wrongful convictions and thus threaten the safety of all citizens. This must never be allowed to happen." [1]
Government surveys show that although consultations at sexual violence centers have risen, very few rape victims in Japan report their crimes to police [1, 2]. The Tokyo Prosecutors Office declined to comment on the specific case [1, 2].
On May 28 and 29, 2026, Haruka and her lawyer publicly spoke about the lawsuit and the prosecutor’s alleged mishandling at a news conference [1, 2]. The court is now set to examine the claims as Haruka seeks accountability and damages for the trauma she endured.
