HYOGO (TR) – Hyogo Prefectural Police have arrested a 41-year-old doctor for the third time on suspicion of stealing gym clothes from a high school girl’s bag on a crowded morning commuter train, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (July 27).
Satoshi Hakotani, a resident of Nishinomiya City, is accused of stealing a set of gym clothes from a tote bag slung over the shoulder of a 16-year-old girl. The incident occurred on the morning of June 12 aboard a Hankyu Imazu Line train traveling between Kotoen and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi stations.
Upon his arrest, Hakotani admitted to the allegations, telling investigators, “I stole it while commuting.”
The suspect had already been arrested in June and July after he allegedly used “nurse scissors” — specialized medical shears — to slice open the knapsack of a 15-year-old girl and steal her gym clothes on the Hankyu Kobe Line.
However, in this latest incident, Hakotani noted that his surgical tools were unnecessary. “The tote bag had long handles and I was able to slip my hand inside, so I didn’t cut it with my nurse scissors,” he reportedly told police.
Home search
Authorities identified the 16-year-old victim after confiscating multiple stolen gym uniforms during a search of the doctor’s home. One of the garments featured embroidery, allowing police to track down the student. Security camera footage later confirmed that Hakotani was riding in the same train car as the girl.
The victim was completely unaware of the theft until she arrived at school and was later contacted by the police. Looking back on her commute, she recalled that a man standing directly behind her on the train was “breathing heavily.”
Police are continuing their investigation, suspecting that the doctor has been repeatedly targeting female students with similar methods during the morning rush hour.
