Police in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, have arrested a 41-year-old Buddhist monk on suspicion of assaulting a high school girl by stabbing her in the neck.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 10 p.m. on Oct 19 as the girl was walking home, Kyodo News reported. Police said Kodo Kimura, a monk at Joenji temple in Tsukuba, is accused of stabbing the girl in the back of her neck with a knife or something similar.
The girl screamed and a passerby called 119. She was taken to hospital where doctors said her wound will take about one week to heal.
Police said an analysis of street surveillance camera footage and witness accounts identified Kimura, who was arrested on Thursday. Police said he has denied the allegation.
Police said the girl told them she does not know Kimura.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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Old Sausage
My guess, without any proof whatsoever, is that the monk is suffering from a mental illness.
virusrex
The article mentions street camera footage and witness, that do not automatically means he was just close but that he could have been identified. It may not be a sure bet, but making the arrest would seem to indicate the evidence is quite strong.
Jay
Being bald and involuntarily celibate is never an excuse to go around stabbing young women.
The temple needs to de-robe this fake monk, then offer a detailed explanation of how it somehow allowed this loose screw to become a representative of their sect in the first place.
NotThe One
Any bullying at the temple or outside recently? Any history of mental health issues? Has his advances towards pretty young woman been rejected recently? What do they have on the cameras?
There needs to be motive. Simply being filmed around the area during that time is circumstantial. Being a monk, they would need to search in and around the temple. I am pretty sure those in charge of the temple will reject a warrant on religious grounds and possible damage of historical artifacts. Also, if they were to find evidence that he did it, it will ruin the reputation of the temple. The temple might be considered impure by very spiritual people. The monk has the advantage in this situation that the average Taro or Kenji does not. It seems if the monk does not fold under interrogation and the police cannot find the evidence, then it will be hard to convict. We also do not know how much clout that temple has in the community. He better hope his meditative practice works to stay calm.
virusrex
Again, they mention the footage and witness, why people assume this can only mean being seen in the area?
Keepyer Internetpoints
Bear in mind, this is a far cry from "his face was clearly visible in the footage and so was his car's license plate."
Analysis, hmmm? What sort of analysis are we talking about I wonder? More details we plebes are apparently not equipped to fathom.
Only two kinds of people do that 1) the guilty and 2) the innocent.
I won't claim to know which until I see some actual evidence rather than get a thin accounting in words.
Mark
it goes to show anyone could be mentally distorted, regardless .
jeffy
Old Sausage Today 04:30 pm JST
Let me be the first to advocate banning anyone from using "a knife or something similar."
garymalmgren
Being bald and involuntarily celibate is never an excuse to go around stabbing young women.
Hi Jay.
Whoever told you that Japanese monks are celibate (involuntarily or not) was pulling your leg.
Meat? Yum, yum
Alcohol? Go for it.
Sex? Why not?
All part of the monk's mantra in Japan.
travelbangaijin
The first comment is blaming mental illness, typical excuse. But if someone else does the same crime the first comment is calling for executions, cruel and unusual punishment
Speed
What could possibly be the motive for doing this??
Fighto!
Another cowardly piece of human refuse who needs dealing with. Probably a complete sociopath and misfit. 10 years in prison would be appropriate.
I just hope the poor girl recovers mentally as well as physically.
WA4TKG
Bob, I would said:
Religion, “giving people an excuse to kill since the dawn of time” ..maybe more accurate
virusrex
Precisely because it does not say much it is invalid to blindly assume the arrested monk was just "seen near the girl", he could have been seen during the attack, or in a middle ground (running with the knife, etc.) there is footage and witness, it is not difficult to think there can be a clear unequivocal link.
nandakandamanda
The name of the temple is actually Joenji.
Moderator: Sorry about the typo.