Social Media Acquaintances Formed Sexual Assault Group and Carried Out Attack
“I’m interested in sexual assault.”
It can only be described as an act of sheer depravity—
In connection with the sexual assault of a woman in her 20s at an apartment in Osaka Prefecture, three men—Takashi Yamashita (44), an unemployed resident of Osaka; Takashi Soma (32), a company employee; and Hakurin Lee (23), a vocational school student from Nara Prefecture—were arrested by the Osaka Prefectural Police by July 4 on suspicion of non-consensual intercourse resulting in injury and other charges.
“The three got to know each other through social media with the intent of committing sexual assaults on an unspecified number of women. They did not disclose their real names and referred to each other using single alphabet letters. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. in mid-June. As another resident entered the building’s entrance, Lee slipped past the auto-lock and searched the premises for a target. That’s when the victim, a woman in her 20s, returned home.
As she unlocked her front door and was about to enter, she was attacked from behind. Covering her mouth, the assailant whispered in her ear, ‘Stay quiet—do you want to die?’ and forced her into the room. He threatened her with a blade, tied her wrists to prevent escape, and then assaulted her,” said a national newspaper’s social affairs reporter.
A man in his 20s, believed to be the victim’s boyfriend, is said to have arrived during the incident.
“The three suspects pushed him down and locked the front door. Pointing a blade at him, they threatened him, saying, ‘Don’t make a sound. Take off your clothes,’ then stripped him naked and tied both his wrists and ankles. They left both victims bound in the room and fled. The man later managed to free himself and called police via an acquaintance, leading to the crime’s discovery,” the reporter continued.
By June 28, Osaka police had arrested Yamashita and Soma. Based on their statements and security camera footage, Lee was arrested on July 4.
During questioning, Soma said, “I had the desire to try committing rape just once.” Lee stated, “I met the two men online. I was interested in sexual assault, and the three of us attacked a random woman.”
“About three hours before the crime, the three suspects met in Osaka around 8 p.m. It was their first time meeting in person, and they were of different ages and occupations. About a week prior, in a similar incident, a woman in her 20s living in a Hyogo Prefecture apartment was subjected to obscene acts by a man. Investigators are pursuing other possible offenses by the suspects,” said a source close to the investigation.
Strangers who met online formed a group and attacked a woman they had never met as if it were a game—society is in dire straits. To prevent copycat crimes, the public demands that Yamashita and the others face severe punishment.
