Victim testifies in brutal sex assault case

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Emotional testimony on Thursday, May 4 in the trial of Michael Hirokawa, who’s accused of brutally assaulting a woman in his downtown apartment.

The victim was on the witness stand and described what he allegedly did to her.

The woman testified that she drove Hirokawa’s car and took him home to Capitol Place because he had too much to drink. When they got there he opened a bottle of wine, and she said he drank a glass while she took a sip.

She said he then started talking about having her two kids stay in his spare bedroom and her staying in the master bedroom, which made her feel uncomfortable. The woman testified through an interpreter.

“I don’t know why he said such a thing. I just thought he was going way too forward,” she said.

She said she wanted to leave but he then started pulling her into the bedroom.

“When he tried to pull me towards the room, I tried to pull myself away from the room in the opposite direction,” said the woman.

She said he then overpowered her and sexually assaulted her.

“There was a point that I couldn’t breathe because he was choking my neck,” she said.

The woman cried as she testified. The victim said it hurt so badly and that she felt helpless.

“He was so strong. There was nothing much I could do; so, I kept begging and asking him to spare my life. And I just kept scratching his back. There was not much I could do because he was so strong,” she said.

She said he eventually calmed down and fell asleep. That’s when she escaped, leaving a trail of blood from his apartment to the hallway and to the elevator where she was eventually found.

The defense said Hirokawa was drugged, and he has no recollection of attacking her.

During cross examination, Hirokawa’s attorney made a point that the victim was on a student visa and was not supposed to work. Yet, he told jurors she was working when she met Hirokawa.

“You knew that was in violation of the immigration laws, correct?” said Alen Kaneshiro, Hirokawa’s attorney.

“Yes,” she said.

The trial resumes on Friday, May 4.