The “appalling reason” why the molester arrested at Shinjuku Station stopped the train and fled along the tracks.

As for the act of entering the railroad tracks, you will be charged with obstruction of business as per the arrest charge. Under the Penal Code, you may be imprisoned for up to three years or fined up to 500,000 yen. In addition, if the train is delayed or stopped due to the intrusion onto the tracks, the amount of damages may be very large, and the railroad company may file a claim for damages against the individual.

Even so, people who are suspected of molestation often go down to the tracks to escape from the situation, because they have been falsely accused of molestation in the past and “if you go to the station clerk’s office to excuse yourself, the police will be called and you will be arrested without being heard at all. Therefore, you should walk away from the situation. If you are suspected of molestation, what should you do?

One option is to run away, but running away may increase the suspicion of the investigator. Even if you manage to escape, if you are caught later, your case may be aggravated. Therefore, my feeling is that it is important to stand your ground and show that you are willing to cooperate with the investigation.

You could leave your business card and leave the scene, but basically, I would recommend that you cooperate with the investigation. There is certainly a risk of being caught red-handed, but running away is not necessarily a good idea. If he really did not commit molestation, there is a high possibility that his innocence will be proven in the subsequent investigation, and it is better to deal with the situation fairly and honestly rather than forcing him to run away,” said Matsui.

In the case of Iwahashi, the suspect may have run away because he was unable to deal with the situation fairly and squarely. On the contrary, it would be unforgivable that he increased the commotion, resulting in inconveniencing more people.