Japanese Woman Sues Man for Violating Her Right to Chastity and Wins Compensation

A Japanese woman filed a lawsuit against a man with whom she had a sexual relationship after discovering that he was married and had children, and she won the case, receiving compensation of 1.51 million yen.

Although it may sound strange to those unfamiliar with Japanese law, the so-called right to chastity has no direct connection to virginity or abstinence. In practice, it refers to the right to sexual self-determination, meaning that every person has the right to freely decide, based on truthful information, whether or not they wish to engage in sexual relations with someone.

According to the interpretation of Japanese law, when a person deliberately lies about important aspects of their life in order to convince another person to consent to sexual relations, that consent may be considered invalid. This was precisely the central point of the lawsuit.

In this case, the woman met the man about two years ago through a dating app restricted to single people. The two were involved for approximately four months, maintaining a consensual sexual relationship. At a certain point, however, the man suddenly cut off all contact.

Japanese Woman Sues Man for Violating Her Right to Chastity

Suspicious of the situation, the woman decided to hire a private investigator. The investigation revealed that the man was married and had children, something he had hidden throughout the entire relationship. This detail was crucial to the case, as the woman’s profile on the dating app clearly stated that she did not date married men.

The Tokyo District Court determined that the man acted with malicious intent by concealing his marital status, thereby violating the woman’s right to chastity. As a result, the court ordered him to pay compensation of 1.51 million yen, equivalent to approximately 9,700 US dollars.

Initially, the lawsuit sought a much higher amount, totaling 7.82 million yen. However, cases involving violations of the right to chastity in Japan usually have a compensation cap of around 3 million yen. The final amount took into account factors such as the length of the relationship and the absence of aggravating circumstances, such as pregnancy or severe psychological harm.

Because the woman consented to the relationship consciously, albeit based on false information, the case was treated as a civil matter rather than a criminal one. Even so, the court acknowledged the damage caused by the deception.

Let’s take a look at some reactions from Japan:

“1.51 million yen wouldn’t even cover the cost of private detectives.”
“Dating apps are full of unethical men.”
“I would never date a guy who uses a dating app.”
“I think chastity should be worth more than that.”
“I’m starting to think you really shouldn’t have sex before marriage.”
“I studied law in college, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a right to chastity.”
“But is lying about being a virgin acceptable?”
“If a woman lies about her age, can I sue her?”