It was announced on Feb 3, 2011, that Mr. Goto filed civil suit in Tokyo District Court demanding damage compensation of 200 million Yen (= US$2.4 Million) against a deprogrammer Takashi MIYAMURA, a Christian Minster Yasutomo MATSUNAGA and relatives.
Mr. Goto (picture–right) was confined for 12 years and 5 months (Sep.11, 1995 - Feb.10, 2008) against his will in an attempt to abandon his faith.
The Tokyo Prosecutors Office failed to indict the deprogrammers in Dec 2009. Insufficient evidence was the reason. The Tokyo No 4 Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution decided on Oct 6, 2010 that the Prosecutor’s Non-Indictment decision was appropriate. This ended the chance of criminal trial.
Mr Goto is now seeking civil trial.
In America, civil cases had stronger impacts than criminal cases.
In Eilers case, the grand jury dismissed all the charges brought against deprogrammers. But in the civil case in 1984, the judge stated that “there is no question that the plaintiff was actually confined”.
In Scott’s criminal case (1993), the deprogrammer Rick Ross ended in acquittal. But in the civil case (1995), Scott was awarded almost US5 million in damage compensation and punitive compensation from deprogrammer Rick Ross, his assistants and CAN, which brought CAN out of business.
Information Source:
http://kidnapping.jp/news/20110203.html
http://kidnapping.jp/news/20110203.html
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"The civil suit by Mr. Goto is a major test case for the Japanese judicial system. It is a shame that Japan's criminal justice system failed to uphold his rights and punish the crimes perpetrated against him. However, a strong ruling in Mr. Goto's favor in the civil courts will at least partly redeem this miscarriage of justice."
ReplyDeleteDan Fefferman
International Coalition for Religious Freedom
First They came... - Pastor Martin Niemoller
ReplyDeleteFirst they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Must the world live this again to take from the lesson, we are our brother's [care givers]
ReplyDeletefinally, the Japanese government may learn--they are accountable for their atrocities!
ReplyDeleteThe opening session of the Mr. Goto's trial will be held on Mar.22, 2011 (Tue) in the court room 709 (level 7) of the Tokyo District Court, starting at 10:30am.
ReplyDeleteInformation source:
http://miyamurakenkyu.seesaa.net/article/187446143.html#more