‘My desire exploded’: Chinese man arrested for touching woman on Tokyo train
Japanese police are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to eliminate sexual assaults on women
A campaign to stamp out molesters on Japan’s famously crowded trains has led to the arrest of a Chinese citizen in Tokyo.
Police and train operators in the city have introduced sting operations in an effort to reduce incidents of women being targeted by gropers, with TV Asahi reporting on Saturday that one such operation had netted Yan Fan, a 37-year-old Chinese national.
A female commuter had previously contacted police to complain that she was being repeatedly targeted by the same individual as she travelled to work each morning on the JR Sobu Line, in eastern Tokyo.
In response, a five-strong plain-clothes team from the specialist railway unit of the Chiba Prefectural Police was assigned to shadow the woman on her journey. The officers allegedly witnessed Fan reach out with his left hand and touch the 23-year-old woman as they travelled between Shin-Koiwa and Kinshicho stations.
Fan was arrested and his case was passed on to prosecutors. Authorities have provided no further information on the suspect, including whether he is a resident of Japan or whether he was visiting on business or on vacation.
Under questioning at Ichikawa Police Station, Yan said: “My desire to touch [her] exploded,” the Tokyo Reporter news site added.
Japanese police are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to eliminate sexual assaults on women and several train operators are examining the possibility of installing security cameras in train carriages.
The clampdown has had unintended consequences, however, with at least a dozen reports of suspected molesters jumping onto train tracks after being seized by the police or other commuters and making a clean getaway.
Railway officials have warned that the individuals are risking serious injury or even death, as well as arrest for interfering in the operations of railway lines.
