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A court in Japan has sentenced a pilot to 20 months in prison for sexually assaulting a flight attendant.
The Tokyo district court called the actions of 44-year-old All Nippon Airways (ANA) captain, Ryota Mise, as “despicable” and said that he abused his position.
On Tuesday, the court convicted Mise over an incident that took place in the early hours of 10 October 2023 in Takamatsu in Kagawa prefecture in Japan. Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of two years and six months.
According to the court, Mise repeatedly touched the woman’s buttocks on a street and later inside a convenience store after the pair had attended a group dinner following a flight, The Japan Times reported.
The woman had met the captain for the first time the previous day while working together.
Presiding judge Takao Okawa said the defendant had abused the authority that came with his role as an airline captain.
During the trial, the woman testified that she was too frightened to resist because she feared the professional consequences of confronting a superior.
Mise argued that he believed the two had developed enough rapport during the group meal for him to touch her in what he considered playful behaviour.
The court rejected that explanation, ruling that it did not justify his actions or warrant a suspended sentence.
“He made an unreasonable excuse and lacks an attitude of sincere remorse,” the judge said.
The court said: “The defendant took advantage of the victim’s fear and shock, abusing his position as captain. His selfish motive of satisfying his own sexual desires is worthy of strong condemnation.”
In a written statement submitted to the court, the flight attendant said she felt unable to escape because she did not know what might happen if she resisted.
In a statement after the ruling, ANA said it took the court’s decision seriously and would continue strengthening measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
