A woman in her 30s has sued a male doctor for about ¥22 million in damages, claiming he violated her right to sexual autonomy — 貞操権 (teisōken) — by hiding that he was married while they dated. She filed the case at the Tokyo District Court.
According to the complaint, the doctor began the relationship in 2023 after telling her he was single. She had told him repeatedly that she would never become involved with a married man and asked him to say so plainly if he was, she said.
“I told him many times beforehand that I would absolutely never have a relationship with a married person, and that if that were the case he should tell me properly. He said it wasn't, so we ended up dating.”the woman, in remarks to ANN, woman in her 30s
When she became pregnant, he revealed he was married and said he would divorce his wife, according to the complaint. After she gave birth, he stopped responding to her, she claims.
Asked about the allegations by ANN, the doctor said his lawyer had told him not to answer.
Courts put a price on the lie
Suits over such "single status" deception have multiplied, and courts have recognized the violation of a person's right to sexual autonomy as a tort in past rulings.
A group formed by people who say they were deceived has seen consultations rise to about 10 times the level of two years earlier by June this year. The group describes the problem as a serious social issue.