Teenage woman…Public Safety Department sergeant “sexually assaulted her outdoors” in a despicable manner.

It is a peaceful afternoon on a holiday when few people are around. A man follows a woman in a residential area. After confirming that she had entered an apartment complex, the man entered the premises. He threatened the woman and committed the dastardly crime.

On October 31, Chiba Prefectural Police arrested Tokuyuki Kobayashi (39, Kawarazuka, Matsudo City), a sergeant in the Public Safety Department of the Metropolitan Police Department, for sexually assaulting Ms. A, a teenager living in the prefecture. He is charged with forcible sexual intercourse and breaking into a residence. The incident occurred shortly after 3:30 p.m. on May 4, during Golden Week.

The suspect and Ms. A did not seem to know each other. Mr. A must have been a favorite type of girl for Mr. Kobayashi. We saw him on the street and followed him to Ms. A’s house. He then entered the apartment complex where Ms. A lived. He threatened her, telling her not to make any noise, and sexually assaulted her in an outdoor space for nearly an hour.

After the incident, he continued to work as usual for six months.

Ms. A filed a damage report with her mother at a nearby police box on the same day. Based on security camera footage and DNA analysis, the suspect Kobayashi emerged in the line of investigation.

On the day of the incident, the suspect was off duty. Kobayashi had been with the company for about 15 years and had not had any major problems at work. What is surprising is that he continued to go to work at the Public Safety Department as usual after the incident. That’s nearly six months before he was arrested. Upon investigation, the suspect has denied the charges.

In Chiba Prefecture, Makoto Okada, a police inspector in the Investigation Section 4 of the prefectural police, was arrested on October 11 on suspicion of forcible sexual intercourse. Like Kobayashi, Okada broke into an apartment complex, threatened a woman with a knife, and sexually assaulted her. This was the fourth time Okada was arrested.

Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa explains the background behind the sexual incidents involving police officers.

The second arrest was for voyeurism at a train station, even though he was caught red-handed. Perhaps he had a strange sense of confidence after committing the crime so many times. According to an acquaintance at the Chiba Prefectural Police Department, he was usually a calm and competent police officer.

The suspect Kobayashi must have been an excellent person who was capable of doing his job. He belonged to the Public Safety Department, which is known as an elite group within the police force. However, it is unthinkable that he would commit a sexual act outdoors. Normally, they would take the victim to an unoccupied room or other location to avoid the eyes of others. Given the audacious manner in which he committed the crime, there is a possibility that he may have committed additional crimes.

In response to the incident, the Metropolitan Police Department issued the following comment.

It is regrettable that an employee has been arrested on such charges. We intend to take strict action based on the results of the investigation by the Chiba Prefectural Police.