Paid-for sex doesn't count as adultery? Court ruling leaves experts baffled

TOKYO, Japan - If a married person pays for sex, it's not considered adultery, it's considered business, a Japanese court ruled, according to a report out in United Press International.

The controversial 2014 ruling involved a company president, his wife and a bar hostess in Japan, according the news agency, which cited The Japan Times. The plaintiff claims her husband was sleeping with the bar hostess for nearly seven years. She sought $32,000 in compensation for the emotional distress it caused her.

Judge Masamitsu Shiseki of the Tokyo District Court rejected her claim, ruling that the paid sex between the plaintiff's husband and the hostess was strictly business.

"The defendant had sexual relations with her patron only for business, like in cases of prostitution, and such conduct does not damage peaceful marital life," the judge said.

The verdict still has many Japanese legal experts scratching their heads. One of those being marriage and divorce legal expert, Hayato Tamura. According to UPI, Tamura said previous court rulings showed that the cheating spouse and his or her extramarital partner should both be held responsible for damages.

The woman did not appeal the ruling, according to UPI. Her attorney told The Japan Times he fears this case might weaken protections against adultery and that a case like this shouldn't be set as a new standard.

The bar hostess maintains she did not have sexual intercourse with the plaintiff's husband.