Had Sexual Relations, But He Was Married?... 'Violation of Sexual Self-Determination, Pay 520,000 Yen,' Rules Japanese Court

[Financial News] A Japanese court has ordered a man who concealed his marriage and had sexual relations with a woman he met through a marriage matching app to compensate the woman, ruling that he violated her right to sexual self-determination.
On the 1st, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Osaka District Court, in a verdict delivered on October 21, recognized the violation of the right to sexual self-determination by a man who pretended to be single and had sexual relations with a woman he met through a marriage matching app, ordering him to pay 550,000 yen (approximately 5.2 million KRW) in damages.
The woman who filed the lawsuit stated that in March 2019, she began communicating with the man after receiving a 'like' from him on a marriage activity matching app that only allows singles to join. They continued to keep in touch via messenger and phone, had dinner together in May of the same year, and eventually had sexual relations at her home.
However, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the man gradually cut off contact, citing his focus on music activities, and the two ended their relationship in November of that year.
In September 2022, the woman discovered a photo of a child who appeared to be of kindergarten age on a website introducing the man's activities. When she asked for an explanation, the man replied, 'I should have told you in advance, I apologize.'
Shocked, the woman filed a lawsuit with the Osaka District Court in October of the following year, claiming that 'if I had known he was married, I would not have engaged in a physical relationship or continued dating,' and sought 3.34 million yen (about 31.6 million KRW) in damages, including compensation for the violation of her right to sexual self-determination.
Although the right to sexual self-determination is not explicitly stipulated by law, it is recognized as part of the right to make decisions about one's own way of life. There have been cases where this right was recognized when a person was deceived or coerced into a sexual relationship.
The man argued that their relationship fell within the scope of 'free love,' as they did not date but only had sexual relations, and claimed that the woman already knew about his marital status and that he did not violate her rights.
The court stated that a partner’s marital status is 'important information when deciding whether to engage in a relationship involving sexual intercourse' for those seeking a partner, and found that the man's act of initiating contact through an app exclusively for singles 'deprived the woman of the opportunity to make such a decision,' thus recognizing the violation of her right to sexual self-determination.
However, considering that the two were not in a relationship premised on marriage, the court set the compensation amount at 550,000 yen.
During the lawsuit, the man also filed a defamation suit against the woman, claiming that she had made their issue public through a well-known social media streamer, which damaged his social reputation. The court ordered the woman to pay 340,000 yen (about 3.22 million KRW) in compensation for this as well.
As neither party appealed, the ruling was finalized as is.
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Ga-eul Reporter