Police officer faces charges over train groping incident

YOKOHAMA -- A police officer who molested a woman on a train and then ran away down the tracks back in April is now facing charges.

Kanagawa Prefectural Police reported the 27-year-old sergeant to prosecutors, accusing him of violating a prefectural public nuisance ordinance. He has admitted to the allegations.

The officer, whose name was not immediately disclosed, resigned after he was slapped with a one-month suspension from duty.

The sergeant fondled the buttocks of a 31-year-old woman from Yokohama on a JR Yokohama Line train at around 7 p.m. on April 15, prefectural police said.

The woman grabbed his arm and forced off the train at Tokaichiba Station. However, the officer jumped onto the tracks and ran about 200 meters before getting back onto the road and hailing a taxi, according to investigators.

He later told his superior that he had been mistaken for a groper, but later admitted to being the culprit.
痴漢：警官が電車内で　線路上を逃走し送検・処分　神奈川

　神奈川県警監察官室は６日、電車内で痴漢をした後、線路上を走って逃げたとして、県警組織犯罪分析課の男性巡査部長（２７）を県迷惑防止条例違反容疑などで横浜地検へ書類送検し、停職１カ月の懲戒処分とした。巡査部長は同日付で依願退職した。

　調べでは、巡査部長は４月１５日午後７時ごろ、ＪＲ横浜線鴨居－十日市場間を走行中の普通電車内で、横浜市のアルバイト女性（３１）の尻を触った疑い。女性に手をつかまれ十日市場駅で降ろされたが、巡査部長は手を振りほどき線路に降りて約２００メートル逃走。フェンスを乗り越えタクシーで帰宅したという。その後、上司に「痴漢に間違われた」と虚偽の相談をしていた。

　女性が駅員を通じて県警に通報していたため発覚。巡査部長は「女性の尻に手の甲が当たり触りたいと思ってしまった」と容疑を認めているという。【鈴木一生】

Mainichi Newspaper

June 7th, 2008