美逮捕日本驻美外交官 指其对妻实施家暴

A Japanese diplomat posted in California has been charged with domestic violence against his wife and could face up to 20 years in jail, the local district attorney said Tuesday.

Yoshiaki Nagaya, vice-consul at Japan's consulate in San Francisco, is accused of 17 felony offenses, 14 of domestic violence and three of assault, including stabbing her with a screwdriver and knocking a tooth out.

The 32-year-old pled not guilty in court on Monday, and was released on bail of $350,000, said San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, adding that the alleged offenses occurred between January 2011 and March 2017.

"The violence ranged (from) pushing and shoving, and bruising upwards (to) the most serious, (when) he knocked a tooth out. On another occasion he jabbed her or stabbed her in the hand with a screwdriver.

"On another occasion he knocked her down and stomped on her with his foot. The final occasion was when he shoved her out of a car in their parking garage, causing scrapes to her face and knees."

He added: "That was when she decided that enough was enough, and she went to the police."

Nagaya does not have diplomatic immunity for the alleged offenses. "There is immunity, but not when you're doing things in your purely private life, for somebody at his level," said Wagstaffe.

Both Nagaya and his wife are due back in court on June 14 for a preliminary hearing. A restraining order was issued, barring the diplomat from having any contact with his wife in the meantime.

Michio Harada, the deputy consul general at Japan's Consulate General in San Francisco, said Nagaya remained on the staff pending developments or a decision from Tokyo.

"If those charges are true it would be quite regrettable, certainly, but we would like to see how the court proceedings develop and then the final outcome," he told the reporters.

The consulate general was not providing legal support. "This is not related to our official work, it's a private thing, so I understand he has his own lawyer for a criminal case."

Regarding Nagaya's job, he added: "The decision is mostly made by Tokyo but at this moment I don't think we can do anything. He is with us now. He's not in the office, but he works for us."

美国地方检察官周二称，一位驻加利福尼亚州的日本外交官被控对妻子实施家庭暴力，可能会面临20年监禁。

长屋嘉明是日本驻旧金山领事馆的副领事，他被控犯下17项重罪：14项家庭暴力罪和3项侵犯人身权利罪。罪行包括用螺丝刀捅妻子，打落她的一颗牙齿。

圣马特奥市的地方检察官史蒂芬•瓦格斯达菲说，这名32岁的外交官周一在法庭上辩称无罪后，缴了35万美元保释金被释放。他还说，这名外交官被指控的罪行是在2011年1月到2017年3月期间发生的。

“他实施的暴力包括推搡、将妻子浑身上下打出多处瘀伤，最严重的一次还打掉了一颗牙齿。还有一回他用螺丝刀戳、刺入妻子的手。

“还有一次他把妻子打倒在地，并用脚在她身上使劲踩踏。最后一次施暴是将妻子从自家停车库的车里推出去，致使她脸部和膝盖擦伤。”

该检察官补充说：“这时候妻子觉得自己受够了，于是她就去报了警。”

长屋对被指控的罪名没有外交豁免权。瓦格斯达菲说：“外交官有豁免权，但像他这样级别的外交官，在纯私生活中并不享有行为责任豁免权。”

长屋和他的妻子将于6月14日重返法庭参加初步听证会。此前已发布了限制令，禁止这名外交官在此期间同妻子有任何联系。

日本驻旧金山总领事馆的副总领事原田道夫说，在日本政府有任何动向或决定之前，仍将保留长屋的职位。

他告诉记者说：“如果这些控告属实，那么当然是非常令人遗憾，但是我们想先看看法庭诉讼的进展情况和最终审判结果。”

总领事没有提供法律支持。他说：“这和我们的官方工作无关，是私人的事情，所以我认为他会自己请个刑事律师。”

提到长屋的工作，他补充说：“这基本是由日本政府决定的，不过目前我认为我们不能有任何举动。他现在和我们在一起。他不在领事馆里，但在为我们工作。”