TOKYO (TR) – Earlier this year, police in Tokyo arrested a 47-year-old man for allegedly drugging and raping a woman he met online.
Last November, Hirofumi Ando, of no known occupation, allegedly forced the woman, aged in her 40s, to consume a drink spiked with a sleeping powder in Minato Ward.
The suspect then took the woman to a rented room where he is alleged to have sexually assaulted her. He has been arrested in two other cases.
According to government data, cases in which suspects are accused of using sleep-inducing drugs to carry out rape or indecent assault are on the rise across the nation. Over the five-year period through 2019, the number of such incidents recorded annually has jumped from around 30 to more than 80, reports Nippon News Network (Aug. 28).
Earlier this month, the Cabinet Office said that a nationwide hotline for victims of sexual abuse will be launched by October.
Persons calling the hotline will be connected to a support center established in each prefecture. Callers will receive appropriate counseling and, if necessary, instructions on contacting police.
Konkatsu site
Ando, the suspect in the aforementioned case, is a resident of Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. In October of last year, he registered with a site for persons interested in konkatsu, or “marriage seeking-activities” under the false name “Hiroshi.” He also falsely claimed that he was aged in his 30s, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said previously.
Prior to the incident in question, he met the woman in front of a railway station at around 7:00 p.m. Later, inside a fast-food restaurant, he presented her with a cafe latte, which she drank.
Thereafter, he took her to an izakaya restaurant before escorting her to the rented room.
However, the woman remembers nothing that took place after she consumed the latte. “I found myself walking around by myself the next day,” she told police. She also could not contact the suspect again.
“I will never forgive him”
The woman then consulted with a friend. However, she did not consult with police since she was unable to recall anything from that night.
The situation changed in June. During an investigation into the alleged rape of a second woman, police found a mobile telephone and a computer belonging to the suspect that contained videos showing him sexually assaulting multiple female victims, including the first woman.
When an investigator told the woman, she slumped her shoulders. “I will never forgive [him],” she said.
An investigator tells the network that the crimes were carefully planned. “It wasn’t just sleeping powders, he also plied [the women] with alcohol at the izakaya to confuse their memories,” the investigator says. “All told, the number of victims is over 10. But if they do not come forward we cannot identify them.”
“Date rape drugs”
According to police, the drugs used in such crimes, often labeled “date rape drugs,” are readily available on the internet.
Easy access is not the only problem. As alluded to previously, the drugs also erase the recollections of the victims. They also move through the body in a matter of hours, making them difficult to detect.
“Furthermore, victims develop a mentality of not wanting to believe that they were sexually abused,” an investigator points out while adding: “The collection of evidence during investigations into sex-related crimes hinges on expediency. If you believe you are a victim, please do not hesitate to consult with the police.”
An upper-level member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police urges caution around unfamiliar persons.
“Don’t consume drinks provided by strangers,” the officer suggests. “Take your drink with you when you leave your seat to visit the bathroom. While these types of incidents are widespread, I suggest use of caution with [all] persons you are meeting for the first time.”
