Super Free

Super Free (スーパーフリー, Sūpā-furī) or its shortened form Sūfuri (スーフリ) was an inter-university rave event club, mainly comprising students of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. The leader of the club along with various students from Waseda and other universities in Tokyo were arrested and convicted for rape and, subsequently, the club was dubbed by several English media outlets as a "rape club". Its leader was Shin'ichirō Wada (和田 真一郎, Wada Shin'ichirō; born July 30, 1974, in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture). Members of the group were convicted of raping three women, but the real number of victims is unknown. Since their arrests, and the club's dissolution, twelve other women have been identified as victims. The club was also incorporated as Super Free Yūgen gaisha (Limited) (有限会社スーパーフリー). Super Free was established as a university social club in 1982. Wada was a student at Waseda University before being arrested. He entered Waseda University in 1994 and became the organizer of "Super Free" in 1995. It had 14 members as of 2003. Super Free was a highly successful inter-university rave event club, to the point that it was incorporated, having 5 branches nationwide, 30-odd employees and an office in Roppongi. According to the indictment, the club organized parties and social gatherings at a public night-club in Roppongi. The members of Super Free would scout for potential victims among the public, and befriend them offering drinks. Once their victims were intoxicated and incapable of resisting, they would lure them to an empty room. Wada was arrested on June 9, 2003. His circle's 13 other members were also arrested for gang rape. Super Free was dissolved on June 22, 2003. Wada was indicted for three counts of rape. On November 2, 2004, the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to 14 years in prison, a comparatively heavy sentence...