2 Yomiuri newspaper delivery agents arrested for allegedly raping woman

Tuesday 15th July, 04:17 PM JST

TOKYO —

Police on Tuesday arrested two newspaper delivery agents for the Yomiuri newspaper for allegedly raping a woman in Chofu City, Tokyo. Shinya Yonezawa, 29, and Takahide Ito, 28, were arrested for allegedly raping the 23-year-old woman at her apartment around 5 a.m. on June 29.

According to police investigations, the two broke into her apartment through the window on the first floor of the building. They threatened and then assaulted her. The two have admitted to the allegations, police said.

A Yomiuri spokesperson said: “This act by newsagents of our business partner is totally unacceptable. We are really sorry about this. We will request our business partners to give their employees proper education as a preventive measure.”

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Latest 15 of 30 Total Comments Show All

timorborder at 10:16 PM JST - 15th July

This aint the first case of newspaper delivery folks commiting a serious crime. Who remembers the 1st grade elementary school student who went missing a couple of years ago down South (around Shiga). The guy they pulled for it was working as a delivery boy for another major newspaper company. I seem to remember that he had "priors as long as your arm." Think his name was Kobayashi, however, I cannot be sure. Before that case, I also remember a couple of others.
thepro at 11:21 PM JST - 15th July

Is this article some kind of dig at Yomiuri? What does the company have to do with it?
cleo at 11:35 PM JST - 15th July

They aren't newspaper delivery men, the article calls them 'delivery agents' by which I imagine they mean the yakkish boors who come pushing boxes of cheap washing powder into the genkan and then by one means or another try to weedle you to sign up for three years' delivery of their crappy newspaper. Once they get their foot in the door, you're toast. Best thing is not to open the door in the first place.
kjunluc2 at 12:07 AM JST - 16th July

****Maybe they'll be sentenced to a couple weeks of mandatory meetings with RA (Rapists Anonymous).
nandakandamanda at 12:10 AM JST - 16th July

Was just wanting to correct the innocent image some of the earlier posters had of college newspaper delivery guys! ;8) The reality, as Cleo has pointed out, is often quite different. These guys are rough, bullying, and in many cases actual Y members.

Moderator: Stay on topic please.
Sagecat at 12:37 AM JST - 16th July

What kind of training can you give an employee to stop this? "Don't rape the customers." ?? On another note, these guys need to be locked up for a very long time. Disgusting.
kimigano at 03:09 AM JST - 16th July

No conviction yet. It's a bit premature to assume they're guilty.
medievaltimes at 09:32 AM JST - 16th July

No conviction yet. It's a bit premature to assume they're guilty.

Both of them admitted it according to police.
mikihouse at 02:20 PM JST - 16th July

I had experienced being harrassed by 2 newspaper delivery guy. Normally they come alone but things have changed. They come in pairs (young and chimpira looks) and threatens/force everyone in the building to subscribe to their newspaper (Yomiuri). Nevertheless, when I retorted in calling the police they decided to back off but went to the other room next door and kept on forcing their newspaper for more than hour. The other guy also keep on knocking on all doors and finding some poor victim to open their doors. They are obnoxious and very arrogant.
GJP2006 at 02:28 PM JST - 16th July

Once many years ago, I listened through my door and watched through the peephole as one of these sales creeps harassed a female university student living next door. I think he was trying to force his way into her apartment and she even let out a few screams. I opened my door and rang her bell to check on her and let her know that I was watching him. Now when they come to my door they take one look at me and assume I wouldn't subscribe to a Japanese paper and move along. Many of these guys give me the creeps.
Altria at 02:36 PM JST - 16th July

That's why you need an auto-lock apartment building. If the NHK or Yomiuri man wants you to let him in, you can just tell them where to stick it and hang up the intercom.
Zen_Builder at 02:37 PM JST - 16th July

Haven't had a prob　with them for the last 5yrs.

How come? The care-taker company that services our building put up notices that any type of sales WILL NOT be accepted and prosecuted.

We had serious probs after the building went up, people pretending they were sent to fix our kitchen filters, coat the bath-room, and what not. Had about 4-6 calls a day of guys pretending to help us and being send by our care-taker company.

If they come I simply cut them　off via the intercom, they ring again and I put the cops on them.

What helped in my last apartment when they came(no central lock) was me opening the door and telling them in english to get lost. Those guys are scared of facing a round-eye who is ready to throw them out.

Those notices are now the norm in my area and they seem to work.
Zen_Builder at 02:44 PM JST - 16th July

I am with Altria.

We also got video-intercom if they guys look like NHK, Asahi, etc guess what we are not at home.

Had fun once answered to 2 ladies turned out to be jehova's, all they asked if I gave them permission to drop a flyer into my mail-box. Told them I was a buddhist(works great on jehova's).
isthistheend at 07:46 PM JST - 17th July

How many people read newspapers these days? I mean news written on paper rather than through the internet? Sales must be 1/3rd of bubble period....or less? All the wasted paper....waste not want not. I wish they'd go out of business entirely, the xxx delivery boys that is. They go dart and weave around this suburban Tokyo neighborhood at 4 a.m. like cockroaches. Beware if your out doing a coin laundry at that hour, which I often am, since I get jetlagged for weeks after flights. And like mentioned above, they do often travel in pairs. Probably the new guy and the veteran. I'll bet they work themselves up to do the dastardly like this crime as a kind of initiation or something.
kimigano at 07:23 AM JST - 18th July

medeviltimes,

Both of them admitted it according to police.

"according to police" carries no meaning in Japan. Do you have actual proof that they committed he crime?