Why? Why Anri Sakaguchi was “detained and widely reported” for shoplifting a “300-yen sandwich

Third arrest

Former TV personality Anri Sakaguchi, 35, was arrested on March 17 on suspicion of shoplifting a 300-yen sandwich from a convenience store in Hachioji City, Tokyo.

This is the third time the suspect, Sakaguchi, has been arrested. In ‛17, he was arrested on suspicion of attempted extortion for trying to extort 30,000 yen in cash from a host he knew (indictment pending). He was also arrested in 2007 on a charge of attempted extortion for breaking into the same man’s apartment (indictment pending).

Sakaguchi debuted in the entertainment industry as the daughter of actress Yoshiko Sakaguchi, but her life changed drastically after Yoshiko’s death in ‛13.’ She left the entertainment agency in 2004 and became a sexy actress. She also went through two speedy divorces.

Even after leaving the entertainment industry, Sakaguchi has become a “disturbed public figure” who is never short of topics of conversation, but he jumped into the spotlight when he shoplifted a sandwich for 300 yen. However, even though about a week has passed since his arrest, there are still no reports of his release (as of March 27).

According to data from the National Police Agency, there were more than 105,000 cases of shoplifting in ‛25. This is just the tip of the iceberg; the actual number of shoplifting cases is probably much higher than this, since there are cases of shoplifting at convenience stores and supermarkets that go undetected.

There is no doubt that shoplifting is a crime, and it can be a matter of life and death for stores that sell at a slim profit margin. But is shoplifting something that is reported so widely and detained for such a long period of time? ……

The “show-and-tell” type of media coverage.

When this website interviewed attorney Kenta Morizane of Morizane Law Office, he shook his head.

The maximum detention period is 20 days (10 days plus 10 days for extension). Generally speaking, a suspect may be detained if there is no permanent address, if the suspect has no regular job, or if the suspect’s attitude indicates that he or she is likely to flee the country. However, in a case like this, it is questionable whether a person should be detained for theft (shoplifting), and I have never experienced such a case. If there is no particular dispute, the person will be released from custody without any extension, and there will probably be a fine for failure to prosecute or summary prosecution. If the convenience store pays for the damage and a settlement is reached, there is a good chance that the case will be dropped.

He quipped.

So why is Sakaguchi being given “special treatment”? The reason seems to lie in the relationship between the police and the media.

A key station news source told this site, “The police arrested him because he is a famous person,

If the arrest is of a celebrity, the police will release information to the media, even if it is minor. By letting the public know about it, it may deter crimes as “one punishment for a hundred”. To be more honest, it may be a kind of self-aggrandizement that the police are doing their job properly. I think Mr. Sakaguchi is just falling prey to such “show-and-tell” media coverage. The media is happy to report it because they can get good numbers.

He also revealed the backstory of the case.

However, it is not only celebrities who bear the brunt of the police.

On the other hand, the police are also very strict with the mass media, which is in a position to report the news on a regular basis. If an employee of a TV station or a staff member of a famous TV program commits a crime, they inform the media. Just recently, an executive of a TV station was caught riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol, but the police released his real name. The police released the real name of the person who was caught driving under the influence of alcohol on a bicycle, not a car. The man was an elite who was said to be a future president, but his career was completely over. He got what he deserved, though.

The suspect, Sakaguchi, had posted a code payment account on a social networking service and had been begging for money from his followers. What was really behind the incident? ……