TOKYO (TR) – Senior Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Katsuya Ogawa, 54, last week tendered his resignation from the party after his son was arrested in Saitama Prefecture over the alleged molestation of a school girl, reports Sankei Sports (Nov. 2).
On Thursday, Saitama Prefectural Police arrested Yosuke Ogawa, a 21-year-old student at Nihon University, for allegedly grabbing the girl, an elementary school student, and causing her to fall on a street in Tokorozawa City on Tuesday as she commuted home.
The suspect admits to the allegations. “I have an interest in lower-grade elementary school girls,” the suspect was quoted by the Tokorozawa Police Station. “My purpose was to sexually assault her.”
On the day of the arrest, Katsuya Ogawa, who is the DP’s secretary-general in the House of Councillors, submitted his resignation from the party to Kohei Otsuka, the leader of the party.
“I want to apologize to the girl and her family,” the lawmaker said at a press conference. He added that he would still like to uphold his obligations as lawmaker to his electoral district.
According to police, Yosuke has hinted at involvement in two similar cases involving elementary school girls on October 20 within Tokorozawa.
