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Osaka cops arrest school teacher in abduction, rape of student at hotel

An elementary school teacher allegedly abducted and raped a student at a hotel in Osaka in March
An elementary school teacher allegedly abducted and raped a student at a hotel in Osaka in March (Twitter)

OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police on Saturday arrested a school teacher for allegedly abducting and raping a student he met online at a hotel, reports Jiji Press (May 20).

On March 16, Takeshi Ogawa, a 42-year-old teacher at Shimeno Elementary School in Neyagawa City, allegedly used his car to kidnap the girl off a street near her residence before taking her to the hotel in Osaka Prefecture where he raped her.

Ogawa, who has been charged with abduction and rape, denies the charges. “I don’t know anything about it,” Fuji News Network quoted police as saying (May 20).

Prior to the incident, Ogawa threatened the student on a deai-kei dating site and forced her to meet him on the street. About an hour after the alleged rape, the suspect forced her out of the vehicle at a location she wasn’t familiar with. She then sought help from a male passerby who made an emergency call.

Police are reviewing security camera footage near the student’s home showing what appears to be Ogawa’s vehicle, the Mainichi Shimbun reported (May 20).

Ogawa continued to teach as usual until Friday, according to the Neyagawa City Board of Education. “If this is true, then his actions betray the trust of the children. It’s unforgivable as a teacher,” a representative of the board said. “We hope to strictly reinforce the code of practice of our teaching staff and provide solid support for the mental well-being of the children.”