2024.10.22 06:00 “I was framed. “It’s all over now.” On October 7, Shinji Saito (41), a former member of Jungle Pocket, who was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s, is said to have bragged this to fellow comedians. “During the adultery scandal in 2023, people around him were quick to defend him, but this time it happened on a location bus, so everyone is shocked that there is no room for sympathy. However, he is mentally exhausted and extremely anxious, so staff and close friends are keeping in close contact with him.” (TV station source) Furthermore, on the 9th, Bunshun Online reported on Saito’s severe gambling habit and debt troubles. A TV station official continues. “Even on the horse racing show where I was an MC, I bet a lot of money and lost it, so I lost a lot of money. I heard that he also borrowed money from company presidents he knew and from poor junior colleagues, totaling several tens of millions of yen. He would pay back those who had less money than him right away, but he was spending close to 2 million yen every week, so he may have had a gambling problem.” An acquaintance of Saito’s said that Saito’s borrowing habits were “inappropriate for a person.” “Saito borrowed 5 million yen from a company president named A. Then, later, at a drinking party, President A introduced Mr. Saito to another president named Mr. B. Then, within a week, Mr. Saito had contacted President B and asked, “Can you lend me some money?” What’s more, it was the same amount as President A, 5 million yen. “President B was astonished that after being introduced to them, he immediately started asking for loans like a string of beads.” What will happen next for Saito, who is accused of non-consensual sex and has debt problems? The key to the case is said to be held by Saito’s wife, Seto Saori, who is looking after the house in his place, as he is currently in hiding. Regarding the allegations of non-consensual intercourse, Seto said, “This case has been reported as sexual assault, but some of the reports are not true. (Omitted) As for the facts, it is true that the other party had also engaged in sexual activity, and that we followed each other on social media and exchanged contact information. We had asked the police to analyze the dashcam and camera footage from the location bus. He responded on social media, saying, “I was trying to make it clear that this was not a unilateral act.’’ “Seto seems extremely angry at his opponent and is determined to fight to the end. If Saito were to retire like this, it would affect his children’s future, and naturally his income would change significantly. Saito also said, “The person who accused me of assault kissed me and told me, ’Now I can do my best.’ He is said to be adamant that, “I was just set up!” (TV station source)
Since this incident occurred behind closed doors with only the two of them, the hurdle for proving consent is extremely high. What becomes important here is the dashcam that records what happens inside the location bus on the day. “Little by little, details of the video footage captured on the dashcam began to leak out from those involved in the investigation. The audio is not very clear, which seems to be a very high hurdle for determining whether or not consent was given. In the 15-minute video, you can see scenes of Saito embracing and kissing the victim, as well as groping her body.” (Social Affairs Reporter) However, such content alone cannot be used to determine whether consent was given. “At the very least, it cannot be said that the power relationship between the popular suspect Saito and the victim was equal. Only the woman herself knows what kind of fear she felt that day, and how she interpreted Saito’s words. Going forward, the investigation will likely proceed from multiple angles to determine whether consent was given or not.” (ibid.) This magazine called Seto himself to confirm the facts, but was unable to get through by the deadline. Debt due to sexual assault allegations. The bottomless quagmire continues.
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