Actress Sawajiri given suspended term for drug possession

Feb 07, 2020 | News On Japan

Feb 07, 2020 (Japan Today) - The Tokyo District Court on Thursday sentenced popular Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for possessing illegal drugs.

In handing down the ruling, the court said possession of the drugs MDMA and LSD carries great criminal responsibility. At the same time, Judge Toshifumi Takioka said, "She pleaded guilty and showed remorse. Her doctor and older brother have also offered to support her."

According to the ruling, Sawajiri was in possession of 0.19 gram of powder containing MDMA, 0.6 gram of liquid containing LSD, and a 0.08-gram piece of paper laced with LSD at her home in Tokyo on Nov 16.

Sawajiri, wearing a black suit, clasped her hands together in front of her, stood straight and nodded several times while listening to the ruling.

After giving the sentence, Takioka told Sawajiri, "I want you to make efforts to recover trust."

"I think my only way to compensate is to do my best to rehabilitate," Sawajiri said in a statement hand-written that was released by her management office.

Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison term for the 33-year-old, who was arrested in November on charges of drug possession, while her defense team asked for a suspended sentence.

In the first hearing of her trial last Friday, Sawajiri offered an apology and said she "does not plan to return to work as an actress."

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