Despite losing sexual abuse lawsuit against dad, Hiroshima woman didn't lose hope

The Mainichi

29-06-2025

HIROSHIMA -- The sexual abuse started when she was a toddler. The abuser was her own father.
"I'm a filthy human being." These were the words Kumi -- not her real name -- kept torturing herself with, as she was tormented by flashbacks of the traumatic assaults in adulthood.
Over 30 years after the onset of the abuse, the woman, aged in her 40s and living in Hiroshima, resolved to bring a civil action against her father. Though the lawsuit was recently finalized with her defeat, Kumi says, "The nearly five-year battle wasn't in vain."
Stressing the importance of seeking counseling and other forms of help, her message to other abuse survivors is this: "Please don't lose hope."
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'I'm covered in filth': Path to self-destruction
It was in her preschool years that Kumi began to be molested by her father. He had her sit on his lap, and fondled her while showing obscene videos. Her father's acts escalated, and during fourth grade, she was forced into intercourse with him. Until she was in the second year of junior high school, she was unable to refuse sexual acts.
After graduating high school, Kumi lived apart from her father. She stayed at relatives' homes, eventually saved up money and started living on her own.
Kumi suffered from the sensation that her body was "covered in filth." She soon developed antagonism against men in general, as well as distrust toward people, and found herself screaming from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) flashbacks while driving the car.
"I harbored resentment and hatred toward everyone and anything." Unable to control her anger, she clashed with others, and lost friends, she says.
Attempting to erase her memory, she consumed alcohol excessively, and this interfered with her daily social life.
Realizing victimhood through counseling
Kumi felt she had reached her breaking point.
On a night in May 2018, she phoned a counselling organization in Hiroshima Prefecture for the first time. Reflecting on the phone call, Kumi says, "I didn't pluck up my courage to do this. I wasn't brave at all, just very much in pain and desperate to cling onto something."
A meeting was arranged for a later date, and she was asked to explain what happened. Wearing a large mask that hid her face, Kumi said, "I committed incest."
A while later, she was taken aback by the counselor's response:
"No, that is sexual assault."
Until then, Kumi was convinced that she was also "in the wrong" regarding the sexual abuse. However, the counselor said clearly, "Your father is the perpetrator, and you are the victim," and hearing these words made Kumi feel a bit better.
At this point, over 30 years had passed since the onset of the sexual abuse. While she was barred by the statute of limitations from filing a criminal lawsuit, she still had a chance to take civil action.
Around this time, her father had mentioned that he wanted to live with her and other family members. Kumi feared that this would lead to the abuse happening again, and more relatives falling victim to her father's abuse.
After two years of thinking it through, she became resolved, thinking, "If nobody speaks up, the perpetrators will get away with abusing victims, and sex crimes will never go away." In August 2020, she filed a civil suit against her father, seeking compensation for the PTSD allegedly caused by the sexual abuse in childhood.
Out of time: Limitation law in abuse cases
The civil statute of limitations stood in the way of the woman's lawsuit.
The October 2022 Hiroshima District Court ruling dismissed her claim on the grounds that the 20-year statute of limitations had run out in the case that the limitation period began when her mental suffering started.
While the November 2023 Hiroshima High Court ruling condemned the father, calling the case "highly immoral and contemptible to the extreme," and stated, "The suffering experienced by the woman is beyond imagination. The father's responsibility is extremely heavy," it upheld the district court ruling.
Kumi's appeal was dismissed in April 2025, and her defeat was finalized.
Azusa Saito, associate professor of clinical psychology at Sophia University, points out that "young children are not capable of knowing the meaning of sexual acts." She continued, "It's especially difficult for them to suspect that something is wrong if the abuser is a parent, who has the legal right and responsibility to take care of the child."
There has been criticism toward court rulings that brought up the statute of limitations in sexual abuse suits, where in many cases the victim becomes aware of the abuse after many years.
This reporter sat down with Kumi, to see how she was doing, and hear her response to the court decision.
Fruits of the 5-year court battle
Kumi told the reporter she felt "written off" by the court ruling.
She has not contacted her father or other relatives since the lawsuit began. Throughout the suit, her father acknowledged he committed sexual acts on her, but disputed the time frame and frequency of the acts. While he claimed that his daughter has a disorder that "amplifies memory," this was dismissed by the court.
Reflecting on her father's attitude, Kumi said, "He kept making accusations, and didn't appear to be remorseful for what he did." "My fear toward men will stay with me for a lifetime. I've had longings to build a new family, but it's impossible for me," she murmured.
Even so, Kumi showed a forward-looking attitude, saying, "the battle was not in vain."
Though she had lost the lawsuit, she was able to view her sexual abuse experience objectively through preparations.
After initiating the suit, she was diagnosed with PTSD, and understood that her excessive drinking habits in the past were symptoms stemming from the abuse.
What gave her moral support was her encounter with the counselors, lawyers, and doctors who fought for her case. Before opening up about her case, Kumi had felt, "As long as I endure this, it won't be a big deal." "I was barely surviving, and it took me a long time to be able to raise my voice," she said.
While stressing that she does not want to impose on others, as each person's case is different, Kumi encourages other sexual abuse survivors to speak with counselors and other experts. "If you vent and let out your anguish, there will be someone who will listen and help process your feelings. I myself am gradually regaining my trust toward others," she said.
Kumi told the reporter that she wants to actively participate in self-help groups for sexual abuse survivors.
"Please don't make a sad decision by worrying and struggling alone. There will always be someone on your side. I ask you, please seek help." This is the message she wants to share with other survivors.
(By Chinami Takeichi, Hiroshima Bureau)