Super Free

nihongo|Super Free|スーパーフリー|Sūpā-furī or its shortened form nihongo|Sūfuri|スーフリ, was a notorious Japanese rape club. Its leader was nihongo|Shinichirō Wada|和田 真一郎|"Wada Shin'ichirō"|born July 30, 1974 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. They were convicted of raping three women, but the real number of victims is unknown. [cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/1475762/Student-rape-mastermind-jailed.html |title=Student rape mastermind jailed |publisher=Telegraph |date=2004-11-03| accessdate=2008-07-02] Since their arrests, and the club's dissolution, twelve other women have been identified as victims.cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/11/03/1099362217587.html?from=storylhs |title=Gang rape club lured Tokyo girls |publisher=The Age |date=2004-11-04| accessdate=2008-01-17] The club also administered nihongo|Yugen kaisha Super Free|有限会社スーパーフリー.

Super Free was established as a small club in 1982, but grew to 14 members by 2003. Wada was a student at Waseda University before being arrested. [cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/07/04/1057179156476.html |title=Revealed: the workings of a uni rape club |publisher=The Age |date=2003-07-05 | accessdate=2008-01-17] He entered the Waseda University in 1994 and became the organizer of "Super Free" in 1995. Super Free was nominally an event-planning club, but in reality it was a club designed for rapists to lure victims. According to the indictment, the club organized parties and social gatherings at a public night-club in Roppongi. The members of super-free would scout for potential victims among the public, and befriend them offering drinks. Once their victims were intoxicated they would lure them to an abandoned room. [cite news|url=http://archive.japantoday.com/jp/shukan/184|title=Gang rape spotlights dirty deeds at Waseda campus|publisher=Japan Today|date=2003-07-01|accessdate=2008-04-08] Wada was arrested on June 9, 2003. His circle's 13 other members were also arrested for gang rape. Super Free was dissolved on June 22, 2003.

Wada was indicted for committing three rapes. On November 2, 2004, the district court sentenced him to 14 years in prison. [ [http://www.search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20041103a2.html Gang-rape ringleader gets 14 years] "The Japan Times", November 3, 2004] He appealed for the verdict. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20041118b2.html Super Free ringleader appeals 14-year term for gang rapes] "The Japan Times", November 18, 2004] On June 2, 2005, the high court upheld the original sentence. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20050603a5.html High court upholds 14-year sentence for gang-rape leader] "The Japan Times", June 3, 2005] On November 1, 2005, the Supreme Court of Justice upheld the original sentence. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20051103a2.html Appeal by Super Free gang rapist rejected] "The Japan Times", November 3, 2005]

After their arrest, the penalty for gang rapes was established. In January 2006, three students in Kyoto University were arrested for gang rapes under this penal code. [cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060127a3.html |title=Kyoto University trio held in suspected gang rapes |publisher=The Japan Times |date=2006-01-27| accessdate=2008-01-17]

Seiichi Ota, a Japanese cabinet minister, was heavily criticized after his misconceived statement "At least gang rapists are still vigorous. Isn't that at least a little closer to normal?" on June 26, 2003. He later reported that his statement was taken out of context, and that he didn't have the chance to further comment on the topic. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3025240.stm]

Then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda was reported to have made highly controversial comments during an off-the-record discussion with reporters in June 2003 regarding the victims of rape by the members of Super Free, according to an article in the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun. The magazine quoted Fukuda as saying: "There are women who look like they are saying 'Do it to me'. Those who have that kind of appearance are at fault, because men are black panthers." In response, Fukuda claimed that the Shukan Bunshun had distorted his comments, stating that he had never intended to defend rape, and told a parliamentary panel afterwards that rape was "a criminal act and an atrocious crime".

References

*http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article1165356.ece
*http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/11/02/1233322.htm
*http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1120012.htm
*http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=2463426
*http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/07/04/1057179159324.html
*http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20030918a3.html
*http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20031106a7.html
*http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20040409a3.html
*http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20040415b1.html