KYODO — A pilot of the major Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) was sentenced to 20 months in prison Tuesday for abusing his power to grope a female flight attendant after work.
The Tokyo District Court ruled that Ryota Mise, 44, acted in a "mean and persistent manner" toward the victim when he took advantage of his position as a captain and touched her private parts at various locations in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, in October 2023.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty, with the defence arguing that the woman had sent an approving message to him right after the incident. The ruling said the argument failed to show an understanding of the psychology of sexual abuse victims.
Noting that the defendant took no measurable steps to mitigate his junior colleague's suffering during her prolonged leave from work due to the incident, Judge Takao Okawa said the pilot deserved jail time and handed down a sentence shorter than the 30-month term requested by the prosecution.
According to the ruling, Mise groped the flight attendant in places such as on a street and at a convenience store while she was made incapable of asserting herself toward a person of authority. The two had met for the first time on the occasion.
"No acts of harassment are allowed. We will strive to make sure nothing of this nature happens again," ANA said in a statement after the ruling.
The airline had removed him from all flight duties since the case was reported in March.
