Afghan man arrested in Hokkaido accused of assaulting woman at shopping mall
A 66-year-old Afghan man has been arrested on suspicion of committing assault at a shopping center in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.
The Hokkaido Prefectural confirmed the arrest following an incident that occurred on Tuesday, April 8th, at approximately 12:00 p.m. local time.
According to police reports, the man is suspected of physically assaulting a female employee in her 30s while she was on duty serving customers within the shopping center’s sales area.
The alleged assault involved the man approaching the woman from behind and forcibly holding down both of her shoulders with his hands.
Authorities have stated that the female employee was shaken by the incident, but did not sustain any physical injuries as a result.
The police investigation revealed that the man initially left the store premises immediately after the incident.
He subsequently returned to the same shopping center and a security guard employed at the shopping facility, who had witnessed the initial interaction between the man and the female employee, contacted the police upon the man’s reappearance.
The security guard’s call to the authorities included a clear identification of the individual, stating: “The molester of the store employee has returned to the sales floor”.
Responding swiftly to the report, officers from the local police department were dispatched to the shopping center.
Upon arrival, they located and questioned the 66-year-old Afghan man.
Following their inquiries and assessment of the situation, the police determined that there was sufficient suspicion to warrant an arrest.
During the subsequent police questioning, the arrested man reportedly admitted to the charges against him.
Preliminary findings indicate that the man and the female employee were not acquainted with each other prior to the alleged assault.
As such, the police are currently focused on investigating the man’s motive for the incident.
Authorities have also indicated that they are not ruling out the possibility of the man’s involvement in other similar incidents.
Their investigation includes exploring a potential pattern of behaviour and looking into other crimes the man may be linked to.
The investigation into this alleged assault is on-going, and further details may emerge as the police continue their inquiries into the motive and any other potential factors related to the incident.
The arrested man currently remains in police custody as the investigation proceeds.
Source: News UHB