Trial continues for brutal sex assault, victim cross-examined

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The victim in the trial of Michael Hirokawa was back on the stand on Friday under cross examination. The defense attorney pointed out what he says were inconsistencies in her testimony and in statements to investigators.

Hirokawa has been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and sex assault. He’s accused of brutally attacking a woman in his apartment at Capitol Place in November 2020.

In court on Friday, Hirokawa’s attorney questioned the victim’s testimony about how drunk Hirokawa was when they got to his apartment.

“And your sworn answer was he was not steady and could fall if he walked without help?” asked Alen Kaneshiro, Hirokawa’s attorney.

“Yes,” she replied.

“You also said that he could not walk steady so I helped him to his apartment?” said Kaneshiro.

“I don’t know if I said I helped him but I think I said I felt like I had to help him,” said the woman.

Kaneshiro then showed security footage of the woman and Hirokawa entering the building and getting in the elevator.

“Mr. Hirokawa is not unsteady correct?” asked Kaneshiro.

“Right,” she said.

“And at no point in this video are you helping him, correct?” Kaneshiro asked.

“Right,” she said.

Kaneshiro told jurors in his opening statement that Hirokawa was drugged when they got to his place and that the wine glass he drank from tested positive for Ambien and LSD.

So Hirokawa had no recollection of attacking her. Kaneshiro claims that Hirokawa acted differently right after drinking the wine.

“Very different from how he was acting before he consumed the wine, correct?” said Kaneshiro.

“I don’t know if it was before or after him drinking wine or if it was before and after he came back from the bathroom. That I’m not sure,” said the victim.

The victim testified that it was then that Hirokawa sexually assaulted and beat her. She escaped when he fell asleep.

The victim had also testified that Hirokawa made her feel uncomfortable when he started talking about her moving in with her two kids. Kaneshiro said when she told investigators about it, she said she took it as a joke.

“It was all very lighthearted, and you were struck by what a nice guy Mr. Hirokawa was,” said Kaneshiro.

“I do remember saying nice guy, but I don’t know if that was the right context,” said the victim.