In a case in which a girl was sexually assaulted by a man, the Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office did not identify her by name in its written indictment in order to protect her. But it surfaced in mid-July that the Tokyo District Court demanded that the prosecution identify the victim, saying that it had failed to adequately identify facts related to the case.

If the court continues to insist on the prosecution identifying the victim, the prosecution may have no choice but to drop the indictment. The court should rethink its demand because it would be possible to determine what the man did even if the victim's name is lacking and thus ensure a fair trial.

In the case, the man is accused of having taken the girl into a toilet in a park and sexually assaulted against her. They did not know each other. The prosecution accepted the request of the girl's parents that her name be withheld in the written indictment to prevent the defendant from knowing her identity. The prosecution apparently thought that hiding the victim's identity would help prevent the defendant from carrying out another assault on her in the future.