Outside the court, Ito thanked her many supporters as she pursued the case in the face of a significant backlash. Security footage showed Ito being taken, apparently unconscious, through the lobby of a hotel where Yamaguchi was staying. Yamaguchi argued that he took Ito to his hotel room because she was too drunk to get home safely. She braved the backlash and took Yamaguchi to court in a civil case. Still, Ito said she was glad the civil case had shed light on what happened to her and allowed witnesses to testify in a courtroom.

Source: Washington Post December 18, 2019 05:02 UTC