A police inspector on Sunday submitted to voluntary questioning about an incident in which he is accused of groping a woman on a train earlier this month.
According to police, the 56-year-old officer is an instructor at a police academy in Sakai, and he was on a temporary assignment to a police station. Fuji TV reported that the incident took place on a train on the JR Kanjo (Loop) line. The woman said that the officer touched her behind for several minutes. The woman reported the incident to station staff who detained the suspect.
A spokesman for the Osaka prefectural police quoted the officer as saying he was drunk at the time and couldn't remember anything but that he had apologized to the woman.
© Japan Today
24 Comments
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SenseNotSoCommon
Is there an epidemic of pervy police?
smithinjapan
Again with the police groping people and pulling the "I was drunk and don't remember anything (so it's okay)" crap?
CrazyJoe
Drunks actually are fully aware of what they're doing because you never hear of a drunk man groping another male.
Tessa
Aaaand that's Monday!
Boy Next Door
That epic alibi "I was drunk and couldn't remember anything."
Knox Harrington
Touched her behind "for several minutes"? That sounds a little weird. What did she do - just stood there and waited for him to stop? What did fellow passengers do? Keitai? Fake sleep?
If this clown is guilty of being a disgusting old oyaji pervert (I bet he is), he should go down, and do so hard. This society had better soon start dealing with their mentally ill instead of just covering the uncofrotable up over and over again.
Garthgoyle
Whaaaat? And he doesn't get thrown in jail until proven innocent, life and career forever ruined like the rest of us even if we were wrongly accused of chikan?
Disillusioned
Being drunk and unable to control himself should worsen his offense, not absolve him of it. Lock him up!
since1981
Since when is intoxication an acceptable reason for sexual assualt on someone's daughter?
Danny Bloom
90 percent of Japanese girls and women have experienced this. Ask around. Men in Japan do not mature past age 13 for the most part. A Swedish psychologist wrote a book on this. The truth about Japanese men. Google it.
Wc626
His punishment should be threefold since he's a cop. Public losing their trust.
Kobe White Bar Owner
@ Danny Bloom
I have googled it and cant find anything, more info pls
Commodore Shmidlap (Retired)
People do things they wouldn't ordinarily do when they're drunk, but drunkenness shouldn't be used as an excuse. Anyway, yet another perverted policeman. But hey, we don't know how the percentages run. These get reported on precisely because of the "public servant gone wrong" aspect. Maybe fewer police do this than other professions. It would be interesting to see a break-down of that. Maybe ice cream vendors are the worst gropers. Well, whoever gropes the most--
How about NOT doing it? Refraining from groping is always the better choice.
EyeOfTheCat
" The woman said that the officer touched her behind for several minutes."
The officer is from the forensic team. Was trying to find out if it's alive.
Elizabeth Heath
Ah, the rubbish 'I was drunk' excuse. He knew what he was doing, drunks always do.
Christopher Glen
Unforgiveable. Inexcusable. Lock him up
Monozuki
Unless he climbs on the wagon, he shouldn't climb aboard a train. Let alone groping!
sillygirl
Sad, sick and as time goes by I lose even more respect and faith in public servants here in Japan.
Douglas Macarthy
well done keep up the good work
MeanRingo
An instructor eh? Perhaps now that they've caught the chikan sensei they will nip this problem in the bud.
yearone
I've been drunk before, but never "memory loss drunk." He lost his memory in the short time between touching her up, and being detained? Sorry not buying it.
sensei258
We can talk about this until we're blue in the face, but nothing will happen to this guy (Notice that they left out his name) other than a polite verbal reprimand (maybe). "Hey, try not to get caught next time. And that excuse, it's getting old, can't you make up something else?"
nath
Seems like the cops here commit most of the groping. I read about this almost every week somewhere. There are enough Turku, soaps, image clubs to satisfy these blue rats.
Strategist
A man of the law is still but a man, regardless of this, being part of the public service you are expected to have a certain level of trust, honour and respect. These are the fundamental principles governing any public relations forces. This was what I've been taught when I served in the British police force year back.
@ Knox Harrington "What did fellow passengers do?" Japanese people like to mind their own business and not get involved. I am different, even when not in uniform (not on duty) I would have applied CQC in this situation. With self-controlled CQC you can get the situation under control relatively quickly.
If the public can not trust the police, who can they trust? The public put there trust in this officer and he simply betrayed them. He was drunk? What nonsense, he consented the moment he took the first sip. Surely its no secret, everyone knows the effects alcohol has.
From the comments, I gather this case is not the first of its kind. I hope this case sees this officer in prison for a very long time. We need to set an example that; "we take such assaults seriously."
I hope the public can build their trust in the police force again, this was but only one officer, I hope the commanding officer gives a pep talk about such matters and the consequence of such actions.
I have been requested by the MET (BPF) to assist in the patrolling and overseeing of the "hyper Japan" event soon to be held in London earls court. Simply having the presence of the police force normally deters anyone thinking of committing a crime. Rest assured your safety is of utmost importance. I will do my best to keep any Japanese Nationals safe, as is the duty of any officer. Public safety