Did the Suspect Act Repeatedly? Questions Arise Over His Explanation Following the Alleged Assault

A man accused of forcibly kissing a woman and biting her lower lip

The man who emerged from Takinogawa Police Station appeared expressionless as he boarded the police transport vehicle. Even after noticing the cameras, he kept his sleepy-looking eyes fixed straight ahead, showing no visible emotion.

“On May 12, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Takinogawa Police Station arrested Zhang Zihao (33), a Chinese national employed as a company worker, on suspicion of indecent assault causing injury without consent. He is accused of committing indecent acts against a woman in her 20s whom he had followed and causing her injury,”said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

According to investigators, at around 6:30 a.m. on March 29, Zhang allegedly followed a woman in her 20s who was returning home to her residence in Tokyo’s Kita Ward for approximately 200 meters before entering her apartment building. He is suspected of forcibly kissing the woman in a hallway and biting her lower lip, causing injury.

The woman contacted police through the 110 emergency number, and investigators later identified Zhang through surveillance camera footage collected from around the apartment building.

On the morning of May 14, at around 8:00 a.m., Zhang was transferred to the prosecutors’ office.

Wearing glasses and appearing mild-mannered, Zhang did not outwardly stand out. Although details about his specific occupation have not been disclosed, the police description of him as an office worker seemed entirely ordinary. Dressed in a suit, he might easily have blended in as an average salaryman.

Earlier this year, in January, “FRIDAY Digital” reported on a case bearing striking similarities to the current incident.

That case occurred on a night in December of last year in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward. A 31-year-old male suspect allegedly followed a woman in her 20s who was walking home alone and attacked her from behind by grabbing her. During the assault, the woman fell and sustained injuries. The suspect fled the scene but was later identified and arrested through surveillance footage.

Subsequent investigation revealed another troubling detail.

“About one week after the incident, it was discovered that the victim had again been subjected to stalking behavior by the suspect. The reason why the suspect, who had initially managed to escape, reappeared before the victim remains unknown,” explained the reporter who had covered the earlier case.

In the past, a specialist in social psychology discussed the characteristics of individuals who repeatedly engage in habitual offenses such as voyeuristic filming.

“Some people who commit voyeuristic acts suffer from pathological conditions such as voyeuristic disorder, in which they derive sexual excitement from secretly observing others. Even individuals with high social status may be unable to control their impulses and continue offending repeatedly.”

“Others approach voyeurism almost like a hobby, treating it as a challenge akin to improving their skills in fishing or video games.”

A similar explanation may potentially apply to repeated incidents involving the stalking of women.

Prior to Zhang’s alleged offense, police had reportedly received approximately ten complaints from the surrounding area from women claiming that they had been followed by a suspicious man, and investigators are examining whether those incidents may be connected to him.

During police questioning, Zhang reportedly denied the allegations, stating:

“The woman bumped into me. I did not commit any indecent acts.”

Authorities continue their investigation, while questions remain as to whether the suspect may have engaged in repeated similar behavior.