Police in Tokyo have arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of molesting an elementary school girl in a bookstore in July.
According to police, Takahiro Ishikawa, who drives a taxi for residents of nursing homes, followed the girl into the store, Sankei Shimbun reported. The girl had gone into the store to wait for her mother. While she was crouched down, browsing through a book, Ishikawa also crouched down beside her and placed his hand up her dress.
The girl later told her mother what happened. Police said Ishikawa was identified from store surveillance camera footage.
Police said Ishikawa, who was arrested on Friday, has refused to discuss the incident until he meets with a lawyer.
© Japan Today
48 Comments
Alan Harrison
Police said Ishikawa, who was arrested on Friday, has refused to discuss the incident until he meets with a lawyer.
A very serious alledged crime, but I think that the arrested man is quite right to remain silient until his lawyer is present. Japans track record of forced confessions is truely abysmal.
purple_depressed_bacon
Ffs. Japan needs to get with the program already and implement a sex offenders registry. This is a country that enjoys punishment via shaming no? Implement a sex offenders registry, give the public access to it and then sit back and watch these PoS get their comeuppance.
snowymountainhell
Reads like Today’s identified child predator, Takahiro Ishikawa, Tokyo, wasn’t intimidated by his arrest and possibly has some prior experience with how to deal with police, despite the video evidence.
snowymountainhell
They know it, he knows it so, sorry, @AlanHarrison 7:49p but this doesn’t read like a case of unwarranted arrest and unnecessary detainment. Looks like there was 2 months of investigation supported by undeniable, video evidence of the crime.
snowymountainhell
He’s a stalker of preying children, looking for opportunity, has a pattern and there is probably more evidence on his smartphones and home computers. Watch this story for possible updates (hopefully) AMND additional charges, soon!
snowymountainhell
Another ‘daily’ account of Japan’s adult-on-child predation so therefore,
MORE REASON to CALL FOR JAPAN’s MUCH NEEDED, 24hr, PUBLICLY ASSESSABLE, NATIONAL SEXUAL OFFENDERS DATABASE ??
Let’s all hope that, Perhaps, a new PM will make sure it gets up and running?
snowymountainhell
Spot on* @purple_depressed_bacon 8:02am**: *
Strangerland
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Harry_Gatto
Unless this pervert has a previous conviction for a sexual assault then a register would not have stopped this offence from happening. Even if he was registered but free to mix with other people then he would have still been free to carry out this assault. Should he have had a sign around his neck or some kind of specially marked clothing?
Do the hustle
Lock this creep away for a long long time.
Harry_Gatto
For the purpose of revenge that would have some success I'm sure.
In this case particular case let's imagine that that this guy was on your register but was shopping a long way from home in Tokyo where everyone is anonymous. How would that have stopped him from committing this crime?
snowymountainhell
Never suggested it’s a ‘fix-all’ for Japan’s sexual predator/pedophile problems but, it could be ‘a productive step’ in making sure past offenders are not hired nor put in positions to supervisor or be alone with children, don’t you think?
Your hyperbolic last suggestion seems to be just a ludicrous and unrealistic premise or, to infer escalating such a registry to more draconian measures. - Perhaps You could expand on it and do what You feel is “right”, if you’re truly interested in protecting children?
Harry_Gatto
This is Japan, he does not have the right to have his lawyer present during questioning.
Article 38 of the Constitution stipulates, “No person shall be compelled to testify against himself, and confession made under compulsion or after prolonged arrest or detention shall not be admitted in evidence.” The Constitution further stipulates, “No person shall be convicted or punished in cases where the only proof against him is his own confession.” In actual trials, there are cases in which confessions were not admitted into evidence based on the courts’ determination of doubt regarding whether or not the confessions were made voluntarily.
In Japan, various measures are taken to ensure interrogation is conducted properly and lawfully. For example, suspects have the right to remain silent and consult with lawyers without the presence of government officials. Audio and video recording of the interrogation process also helps to ensure that interrogation is conducted properly and lawfully, as it enables ex-post review of interrogation.
Issues including whether to allow the presence of lawyers during interrogation were discussed for nearly three years at the Legislative Council, an advisory body comprised of criminal law professionals, legal practitioners and other experts. During the discussions, some council members expressed concern that if lawyers’ attendance during interrogation were to be granted, it would make it difficult to discover the truth of the case due to the difficulty of obtaining sufficient statements from the suspects, which would significantly undermine the function of interrogation. Taking into account such concerns, those experts warned that granting lawyers’ attendance during interrogation would not be supported by crime victims or the Japanese people, who strongly demand that the truth of a case be discovered. As a result, it was decided to continue not to allow lawyers’ attendance during interrogation. Following these discussions, it was also decided to introduce audio and video recording of interrogation as a measure to ensure fair and proper interrogation.
Kobe White Bar Owner
@purple_depressed_baconToday 08:02 am JST
Ffs. Japan needs to get with the program already and implement a sex offenders registry.
totally agree, Keith nice I ask a good regular customer/friend why so many of these thing happen her and his drunk/honest response was that all Japanese men are lolicons. His exact words! I nearly fell of my chair!
This was over ten years when I was more optimistic about people having some form of integrity.
Harry_Gatto
First sensible suggestion you've made this morning.
Nothing ludicrous and unrealistic about my comment though such a description certainly applies to yours. Think about it; a man, with no previous convictions, who is unknown to everyone around him, suddenly and without warning molests a child. How would you stop that from happening? ANY subsequent actions of any kind are all after the event and would not have prevented it.
I am not inferring or encouraging more draconian measures. In some administrations steps are taken to stop known offenders working with children for example. This is one form of protection, incarceration is another. My own feeling is one strike and you're out, touch a child and you go away for life. This would not prevent the first such offence but would stop any subsequent offences.
Parents also could be more observant, perhaps being more aware of who is near their children. Note the "perhaps", parents' eyes can't be everywhere and I'm certainly not blaming the parent(s) in this case. I wasn't there to see what happened.
Pukey2
Disgusting.
snowymountainhell
Very informative reading @Harry_Gatto 10:36am about a perpetrator’s ‘due process’ options in Japan. Thank You for the summary as a follow up to one user’s comments.
More on topic to the headline: “Man molesting elementary school girl”:
Was there equal Legislative Council diligence afforded to evaluate victims’ rights in JAPAN?
What will happen to her now in the JAPAN’s ‘justice’ system?
What lifelong counseling & rehabilitation will she receive?
The routine fines & ‘monetary compensation for loss’ to a victim’s family seems of little benefit to rectify ANY trauma she suffered.
Concerned Citizen
In a book store while crouched down reading a book.
Girls need to be taught to raise the alarm, kick, scream, run away, etc in these situations where they are molested in a public place with other adults in the vicinity who can help them and tackle the offender.
Robert Cikki
I like how the Japanese media always publish the full names of those yet to be suspected and not yet convicted.
Although in this case it was clearly seen on CCT....
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
School girls and women in Japan should be allowed to carry pepper spray and take mandatory training how to use it .
Better surveillance and security in a bookstore where school children frequently go.
Not just a camera.
The way Japanese men treat girls and women in Japan is awful.
Was this man also abusing elderly nursing home residents during work as well as children ?
Lock him up and throw away the key !
snowymountainhell
Considering your @11:06am posits @Harry_Gatto but still think your @10:10am was ‘just a little extreme’ for our ‘discussion’ here and intended to provoke ‘something[?] rather than come to, at least, an understanding of viewpoints.
Back on points relevant to this story, will you please, equally provide answers to those @11:13am questions about the victim’s rights? (No condescension or back-handed remarks are necessary.)
nandakandamanda
Hope they are checking the security cameras of other bookshops in the vicinity. You can’t tell me that no one has noticed anything anywhere.
snowymountainhell
Yes @nandakandomanda 12:49pm. Often there ARE correlations of ‘means, motive & opportunity’ with these types of crimes and the perpetrators’ occupations. Was also looking forward to Your conclusions on the Sept 10 Crimes: Private university worker “arrested over attempted rape of sleeping woman in her apartment”.
snowymountainhell
Well read, well said, good questions about his ‘activities’ a work @Kyowaheiwadayone 12:01pm:
A 24hr, PUBLICLY ASSESSABLE, NATIONAL SEXUAL OFFENDERS DATABASE would help such care facilities and other potential employers to screen for these deviants before hiring them.
Unfortunately, as @H_R reminded, it takes, at least, *one** prior offense to get on such a registry. Still, from the such ‘daily’ stories read here, it would be a productive and proactive start on making JAPAN even *safer.
Chabbawanga
String him up
nandakandamanda
@snowymountainhell above, done as requested.
Danielsan
Molesters of children deserve the death penalty. There is no room for these creeps in any decent society.
albaleo
Wouldn't a simple criminal background check be enough for jobs that involve working with children? Why the need for a separate sexual offenders register?
blahblah222
Because rapes, especially vs. minors are rarely ever punished with imprisonment or any criminal punishment in Japan, and perpetrators rarely face any societal consequences, these type of cases will simply rise more and more in the future.
You can bet that this guy will be out on the streets again in a few weeks and will repeat his crime within a year. And 90% of the crimes he commit will never be reported, and of those that do get reported, 90% will be ignored by police.
snowymountainhell
The ‘key’ term was “Publicly Accessible” database @albeleo 4:02pm. Japanese co’s & govt’s have failed to secure public trust that they will NOT to continue to ‘rubber stamp’ or overlook such crucial, employment criteria for prospective hires.
Keep in mind, the Japanese ‘justice’ system focuses on “contrition & absolution” rather than “punishment, rehabilitation & reform”. The current workforce is already stretched to keep caregiving & education positions filled. To exploit it and find other ‘opportunities’, the convicted perps in coaching, education and caregiving know the labor shortages and simply move to the next prefecture for work. Don’t WE want to know who’s coaching, teaching, mentoring, jukuing and potentially, ‘attempting to groom’ our kids before, during & after-school each day?
Or, in this perp’s occupation, who’s really alone with obaachan ?
nandakandamanda
My daughter was molested here but the Police seemed tired and unable/unwilling to get further involved. When I mentioned a distinctive mole on the guy's face, the officer in charge looked blankly at me and made no attempt to record the fact. One officer shuffled over in his plastic slippers to ask why were there, and the one who was taking down (some of) our details turned around and quietly commented, "Oh, just another stupid guy".
My guess is they are overwhelmed, limited in the variety of laws that they can invoke, and they really do not know where to start without some overwhelmingly compelling reason, involving explosive anger from a victim for example.
Kyakusenbi_Arimasu
Rehabilitation is what Japan's incarceration system is about and sure seems to work better than anything in America.
albaleo
That's not how it works in all western countries. Where I live, anyone can make an application to the police asking them to disclose whether a particular person has a record as a child sexual offender. However, it is up to the police whether they will provide the information, their main consideration being whether such disclosure will protect children. Typically, this procedure is used for people in charge of children - sports coaches, youth club workers, etc.
snowymountainhell
That would be equally & truly unfortunate *@albaleo 6:13pm IF*** *police, in ANY jurisdiction, purposefully withheld information about ‘known, convicted sexual offenders’ in the area and working in a capacity giving access to children, the mentally & physically disabled and elderly. Reads like that *jurisdiction leaves the disclosure of such information to subjective decisions on the local level?
You do seem to have an idea of its potential benefits to the community, as a whole:
Harry_Gatto
You would not want to find yourself sharing a name with a registered sex offender in your area on a “Publicly Accessible” database. That could get you lynched and your house burned down in some places.
Any such database needs proper control or there would be mayhem.
Put this
same name as sex offender
into Google and read what comes back.
snowymountainhell
So sorry @nandakandamanda 5:06pm such a terrible thing happened. Your account reads like the local police were just simpletons, disinterested in following up AND already may know of some of the perpetrators in the area. All we can do is love and protect ‘our own’.
snowymountainhell
Have given your comments & recommended reading sufficient time today @Harry_Gatto yet, You haven’t given ‘full and equal consideration’ to the other side, … yet.
Therefore, STILL waiting for Your ‘fair & balanced’ research on “The Victim’s Rights in JAPAN”:
Once again, No condescension or back-handed remarks are necessary. - Will check back later for Your reported results about “The Victim’s Rights in JAPAN”.
Chris Case
If they don't, what experience has taught you that?
albaleo
@snowymountainhell
Sorry, I have trouble understanding your comments. I originally asked why a separate sexual offenders register is necessary to provide information on whether those working with kids present a possible danger. You suggested it was useful for that purpose. I think regular criminal record data is sufficient.
Alan Harrison
*They know it, he knows it so, sorry, @AlanHarrison 7:49p but this doesn’t read like a case of unwarranted arrest and unnecessary detainment. Looks like there was 2 months of investigation supported by undeniable, video evidence of the crime.*
@snowymoumyainhell. ou are probably right. That is why all procedures and due process of law need to be followed correctly.
It works both ways, just as innocent people have been imprisioned in the pasr, guilty people have walked free, because procedureswere not followed correctly.
moonbloom
Because rapes, especially vs. minors are rarely ever punished with imprisonment or any criminal punishment in Japan, and perpetrators rarely face any societal consequences, these type of cases will simply rise more and more in the future.
You can bet that this guy will be out on the streets again in a few weeks and will repeat his crime within a year. And 90% of the crimes he commit will never be reported, and of those that do get reported, 90% will be ignored by police.
____
My daughter was molested here but the Police seemed tired and unable/unwilling to get further involved. When I mentioned a distinctive mole on the guy's face, the officer in charge looked blankly at me and made no attempt to record the fact. One officer shuffled over in his plastic slippers to ask why were there, and the one who was taking down (some of) our details turned around and quietly commented, "Oh, just another stupid guy".
My guess is they are overwhelmed, limited in the variety of laws that they can invoke, and they really do not know where to start...
Yes it is a systemic problem, meaning those in charge of the system do not have the desire or will to seriously address these issues, so repeated calls to "string him up!" "create a sex offenders registry" are just wishful thinking.
snowymountainhell
Understood & acknowledged *@AlanHarrison 8:12pm. - **EVERYONE should have a basic human right to a fair, ‘due process’ of criminal proceedings, and those in Japan are of NO exception. - Also, acknowledge Japan has has some ‘questionable’ cases and probable abuses of some of the laws regarding ‘arrests, detention & interrogations’ pending adjudication. Was just pointing this perpetrator was thoroughly investigated for about 2 months before *his arrest.
Mostly, wanted to call out that some will continue tho try to focus on just the accused and NOT on the victim, as evidenced above several times throughout the day in this thread. - And still, waited “momentarily” for those answers but some apparently have chosen not to answer the call.
Thanks for Your response.
Zaphod
snowymountainhell
Maybe, or maybe not. How in the world would you know??
snowymountainhell
Yes @albaleo 7:34pm, was just responding to your very specific @6:13pm account of how police in your home jurisdiction, somewhere in ‘the west’, have the subjective, case-by-case, discretion on whether or not, they will choose to divulge IF a prospective person on the submitted application is a convicted, sexual offender and, whether or not it’s in the communities’ interest to disclose it.
So, according to your explanation of your country’s procedures, not ALL records are ‘publicly’ available in your ‘home’ jurisdiction. Based on that, presumedly, ANY local officer could simply ignore the prior criminal record, be bribed, coerced to ‘make the issue go away’, while collecting ‘application fees’ for the public coffers.
Probably not as extreme as all that above but it does read like that system, like JAPAN’s Ministry of Justice and NPA could be susceptible to incompetence, neglect and abuses.