IBARAKI (TR) – Ibaraki Prefectural Police have arrested head priest at a shrine in Mito City over the alleged attempted rape of a female acquaintance last week, reports Fuji News Network (Nov. 10).
Between 2:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m on November 7, Akinori Sato, the chief priest at Gokoku Shrine, is alleged to have shoved the woman down to the floor of his residence and jumped atop her in attempting to rape her.
Sato, who has been accused of attempted coerced intercourse, denies the allegations, the Mito Police Station said.
The day after the incident, the woman, a part-time employee in her 20s, lodged a complaint with police.
Gokoku Shrine deifies the spirits of war dead. Sato became the chief priest in 2015.
“Regarding the arrest of the chief priest, we are confirming the facts,” a representative of the shrine was quoted.
