crime

Chunichi reporter arrested for allegedly molesting woman on train

27 Comments

A reporter for the Tokyo Chunichi newspaper was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman on a train, police said Saturday.

According to police, the incident occurred at about 6 a.m. on Thursday. Police said the 37-year-old suspect was on a train on the Sobu Line when he repeatedly touched the thigh of a 40-year-old passenger nearby, Sankei Shimbun reported.

Police say the woman got off the train at Shinkoiwa Station where she alerted station guards to the crime. The man was detained and handed over to police for questioning, Sankei reported.

The suspect has confessed to the crime, investigators said and quoted him as saying that he was drunk and got carried away. Police say the man was released on Friday.

Chunichi editor Kazuo Nishiyama issued a statement in which he said: "If the allegations are true, this is a deeply regrettable incident. We would like to apologize to the victim and assure her that we will be dealing with the matter of disciplinary action appropriately."

The Tokyo Chunichi is published by Chunichi Shimbun Co, Ltd, which also publishes the Chunichi Sports and Chunichi Shimbun newspapers. The group ranks fourth in Japan behind the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Asahi Shimbun and the Mainichi Shimbun, with a combined circulation of more than 4 million.

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27 Comments
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"he was drunk and got carried away" at least he didn't say "I was drunk and don't remember anything, but if it did happen, I'm sorry"

4 ( +6 / -2 )

"Touched the thigh" could mean anything.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Still drunk at 6am!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Starting the NEW year off.....like this.....

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I can't believe 2012 starts off this way for the victim. I hope she gets over it and embrace a bright 2012!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Police say the man was released on Friday.

why so quickly, Police should have kept him in custody for 72 hrs (atleast).

2 ( +4 / -2 )

They were both sitting down according to Sankei Shinbun, so most likely he touched her thighs. Touching her butt would be quite a challenge although not impossible.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

He started out the new year with a bang. I commend him as he will always be remembered as the first idiot on January 1st. Omedeto.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No, futomomo is not butt. That would be oshiri.

He repeatedly touched her thigh(s), it says in the quote above.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Happened last Thursday.

"Touching the thigh" isn't very clear. Though in this day and age, I always try to keep my hands WAY up holding the strap hangs or in "plain sight". While this guy has admitted to being guilty, tooo crowded trains and something innocent and next thing you know it you're in handcuffs.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Drunken fool. He'll pay the compensation money (usually about $5000), get fired, and that'll be the end of it for the most part.

I'm curious, though, how apologists on this site are going to try and blame it on the woman this time. Any clues, ExportExpert?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The Japanese is

太ももを複数回にわたって触ったとしている

which probably means he touched her butt - 'futomomo'. However futomomo can also mean thigh.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Gross.

And good on her for reporting it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

samwatters: "I don't understand why every train doesn't have one car or at least half a car reserved for women"

Many do, problem is that it's putting a bandaid on a bullet hole, to be cliche. What do you think the police are going to first ask a woman assaulted on non-female only car? Having cars for women only doesn't reduce the crime, it increases the chance that the crimes will be let go without punishment on the part of the victim. Sick as it is, and I know this for a fact, it actually INCREASES the justification people will provide for why they assaulted others. A friend of mine who was groped on a train was first asked by police why she didn't ride the women only car, as though not riding said car made the groping her fault.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Well put smithinjapan. The problem is gropers. What do the train companies do to avoid dealing with the problem? They make a woman only car. More witnesses need to come forward. More people need to step up and do the right thing instead of keeping their head down and ignoring what is happening right in front of them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He might have signed the paper and handed over the 5man.

oyamaman.

Read the news the same stuff gets done by teachers, TV-staff, salaryman, politicians, etc. FYI, I trust Cleo with her info about police as it confirms what I know as she has 1st-hand knowledge of living with cops.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Drunk at 6:00 AM on a Thursday. With that level of discipline, the molestation doesn't come as a surprise.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I don't understand why every train doesn't have one car or at least half a car reserved for women. Problem solved for both victims of molestors and victims of fake accusations, right?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Women shouldn't need to have a special car. I hate them because it doesn't do anything to solve the problem of groping. As said, it makes it worse. Surely a woman riding a reg car wants to be felt up, right?! Sadly some idiots do think this way.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@SmithinJapan. You make some good points, especially about the possibility of law enforcement blaming the victims which would be the last thing I would advocate. Rather, my comment was directed at the shock I felt last month when riding a Tokyo train for the first time (I live in Hokkaido) and witnessing cars packed to 2-to-3 times their capacity. In these situations it is inevitible that someone's no-no regions are going to be touched either on purpose or on accident. It just seems to me that prevention might be better than punishment if the goal is to make women feel safer.

@kwbrow2. I agree that gropers need to be dealt with (and in my native Detroit we often did!) but in the trains I was in the person next to me could have been on fire and I wouldn't have seen it due to the mass of humanity packed in those cars. I would have a hard time believing any thing a witness would testify to beyond "I heard a women scream."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow...he was drunk and actually remembered doing this act.....first time for everything.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Drunk and carried away?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Having cars for women only doesn't reduce the crime,

i seriously doubt this. Do you have some sort of proof?

Yes, we all know the real problem is gropers. But only a fool ditches all efforts of prevention as if a new groper is not born every day. You cannot catch them before they act. There is no practical means. Even catching them in the act or after is no easy feat. Or do you have some magic spell you are not telling us about?

Women need to be aware and they need to use the women only cars. Its just the way it is. There is no en masse way we can help women in this if they refuse to help themselves. Punching keys on the net and shaking our fists in frustration does nothing. Either you have a realistic, practical suggestion, or you don't.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Shouldn't lose your job for this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is his occupation really relative?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The Tokyo Chunichi is published by Chunichi Shimbun Co, Ltd, which also publishes the Chunichi Sports and Chunichi Shimbun newspapers. The group ranks fourth in Japan behind the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Asahi Shimbun and the Mainichi Shimbun, with a combined circulation of more than 4 million.

Why the heck is an entire paragraph devoted to the publishing company this guy works for?! What does ANYTHING in that paragraph have to do with the actions of the reporter on the train? This smacks heavily of "NYAA NYAA! LOOK WHAT OUR COMPETITOR'S EMPLOYEE DID!" JT, you need to be a little better at hiding your glee... or being a little more mature about it... or both.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What an idiot! I am happy this idiot CHIKAN got arrested! And Shin Koiwa is my wife's hometown! Stupid, stupid idito Chunichi pervert!

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

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