crime

18-year-old girl killed by stalker hours after seeking help from police

109 Comments

An 18-year-old girl who was fatally stabbed in Mitaka, Tokyo, on Tuesday night, had visited local police earlier that morning to request help in dealing with the stalker who is suspected of killing her, police said Wednesday.

According to police, Saaya Suzuki was attacked on the street in front of her home in Inokashira at around 5 p.m. TBS reported that neighbors heard Suzuki scream and found her in her school uniform, bleeding from stab wounds to her neck and stomach. She was taken to hospital where she died a short time later due to loss of blood, police said.

Witnesses were quoted by media as saying they saw a man wearing a turban running away from the scene of the crime. Police said that 21-year-old Charles Thomas Ikenaga, a former boyfriend of Suzuki until they broke up six months ago, was arrested nearby 90 minutes later. He was wearing a purple turban when taken into custody, police said.

Ikenaga has admitted to the crime and said he bought a knife a few days ago with the intention of killing Suzuki.

Suzuki and her parents had visited police at around 9 a.m. Tuesday to seek help after Ikenaga allegedly lay in wait near their home and accosted them on several occasions, TBS reported. Suzuki had also asked her school principal for help after she received email death threats from Ikenaga. The principal advised her to contact the police.

The police officer who dealt with their case called Ikenaga's cell phone three times Tuesday, but his calls were not answered, police said.

Police said they asked Suzuki to bring the threatening emails back the next day so they could prepare to file a charge against him.

Police say an investigation is to be launched into the officer's handling of the case to ensure that it conformed to regulations regarding stalking.

© Japan Today

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109 Comments
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same old story....Jcops at its finest...

2 ( +21 / -19 )

Ah, the J-cops.... do nothing until it's already done. Poor girl -- failed by the system.

1 ( +20 / -18 )

Well, if the girl and her parents only visited the police for the first time on Tuesday, there is not much the police could have done to prevent the murder. If they had been to the police several times before, that is a different matter.

28 ( +33 / -7 )

Rest in Peace to the poor girl with her whole life ahead of her. She was badly let-down by the police - to be honest, it's not surprising with the cops here. Hopefully several police will be summarily fired, and the evil killer will be executed or at least thrown in solitary forever.

-12 ( +12 / -23 )

Japanese police are useless

-11 ( +18 / -27 )

Between an inept J-cops and an inept EMS, the girl had no chance. Wonder if the hospital she was taken was even a trauma center? And why was there a cop to escort them home if he's MO is to lay and wait at her home?

-3 ( +13 / -17 )

that's so typical of many posters here. hate on the j-cops for no reason. don't really see what else the police could have done. one complaint and you expect the police to launch a manhunt for the guy? puh-lease!

21 ( +27 / -8 )

I dont understand, he actually accosted them so isnt that already considered an attack? Why wasnt he arrested after the complaint

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Article says, the stalker accosted the family on several occasions??? WTF???? Speaking only for myself, as a father I would turn that punk into mince meat the first time he ever tried anything with, or said anything threatening to my kid.

11 ( +16 / -4 )

While the J-cops are usually useless, there is absolutely nothing in this article to suggest they did anything wrong. On the contrary, there are things that may suggest they were doing things right - they obviously took the filu serious enough to try phoning the stalker, likely to give him a warning. Contrast this to the past when they often would have convinced the family they were overreacting.

So a big shame on you to the people who we're criticizing the police in these comments with no justifiable reason for doing so.

14 ( +19 / -5 )

Speaking only for myself, as a father I would turn that punk into mince meat the first time he ever tried anything with, or said anything threatening to my kid.

You'd be fighting a killer. Is that really such a wise move?

0 ( +9 / -9 )

The police officer who dealt with their case called Ikenaga’s cell phone three times Tuesday, but his calls were not answered, police said.

I'm curious what the cops planned to accomplish with this? Where they calling him to come into the station for questioning, or did they just plan to chat to him on the phone? What was their game plan here?

4 ( +9 / -5 )

@Strangeland: To protect my loved ones dude, Anytime, Anywhere. The cops are definitely not at fault here but they, for the most part, can't usually act until a crime has been committed, usually by then, it's too late. Enough said.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

I feel bad that the parents have to live the rest of their lives wishing they had done more even if it was the police at fault.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

As I understand ( not from this article) the police had been approached multiple times. Even the girls teacher had directly gone to the police. Perhaps more will come out - but at the moment it seems like it was in "the too hard basket".

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Mottainai! Rest in Peace! Only 18 years to live. Shame on the police.

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

Wearing a turban indicates some fanatic religious predisposal, yes those nutjobs should not be allowed in secular society...religion is pure evil and attracts bad people. That said police has failed again, not surprising

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Makes me sick to read something like this. If this guy is indeed the killer, I hope he rots in a jail cell the rest of his life. There is no excuse for this. Feel so bad for the family.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Erg. Meant to hit "quote" but got "submit" instead.

As I understand ( not from this article) the police had been approached multiple times. Even the girls teacher had directly gone to the police. Perhaps more will come out - but at the moment it seems like it was in "the too hard basket".

Stalking is hard. You can't provide 24 hr protection even if you wanted to. I don't know how the laws work in Japan on this, but often times there isn't much the cops can do until after something serious happens. Even if they had been able to arrest him or get some sort of restraining order, these would only be temporary fixes at the very best. That's not to excuse any inaction on the part of the police, who often seem not to take these sorts of things sufficiently seriously.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

There is a lot the police could have done. Calling a cell phone is pathetic. Going to his place of residence is at least necessary. Even sending a police patrol past their house every other hour is not unthinkable, especially since the Inokashira area is extremely peaceful otherwise. Anyone who thinks nothing could've been done to prevent this is lying to themselves.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

The parents are The ones who should catching the flack here. What the heck was she doing walking alone?!

1 ( +6 / -5 )

And on top of everything, purple turbans will have to stay in the drawer for now.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Such a sad story, in so many levels! RIP!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

While I think the cops could have done more than calling the stalker's cell phone, I wonder why nobody was accompanying the girl if the family knew he was lurking around their house. I certainly wouldn't leave my daughter alone in such a situation.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

rickyvee: "that's so typical of many posters here. hate on the j-cops for no reason. "

'No reason'??? How about the times she went to the police to complain about harrassment and they did nothing until she was murdered? Ever hear about something called 'prevention' -- it's when you take action to prevent something from happening. There would be 'no reason' to complain about their behaviour if we didn't have to read about this kind of incident ALL THE TIME.

ka_chan: "Between an inept J-cops and an inept EMS, the girl had no chance. "

True, but the EMS people are still limited by a complete lack of training and Draconian laws that don't even allow them to give injections on the way to the hospital.

2 ( +15 / -13 )

The police officer who dealt with their case called Ikenaga’s cell phone three times Tuesday, but his calls were not answered, police said.

Hello, hello, Mr. bin Laden? This is the police. We'd like you to stop...hello? ...I think he hung up on me. Oh well. Our job is done here, I'm sure that was enough to solve this problem.

Come on people... there's so much more that we should be expecting from the police. Attacks and molestations are at absurdly high levels.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

I'm curious what the cops planned to accomplish with this? Where they calling him to come into the station for questioning, or did they just plan to chat to him on the phone? What was their game plan here?

Maybe they just wanted to give him a warning in advance so that when confronted with an actual police officer requesting a conversation he would not "panic" and "freak out"? We all know how some people go mental and lose all common sense when they see a cop.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@smithinjapan

please calm down and reread the article. she only had visited the koban that morning. other posters may be adding info, but that has not been verified in any report.

again, what else could the police have done to prevent her murder? even if they had arrested him that morning, you don't think he would have murdered her after he got out of jail? he already knew where she lived. this guy was a lunatic, plain and simple. HE is to blame, NO ONE else.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Interesting name and choice of attire. He doesn't appear to be of mixed heritage and middle names aren't technically possible in the Japanese system, (hence he is called Charlesthomas in Japanese news).

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

"He doesn't appear to be of mixed heritage"

From where do you infer that?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

He doesn't appear to be of mixed heritage

Seeing him on TV this morning when they picked him up I thought he could well be half Japanese, and the name and the fact that he has Japanese citizenship (as reported on the news) suggests he is too.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Tragic. Condolences to the family of the young girl and may her soul rest in peace.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

looks like the Jkops spend their time clicking the BAD button here to any criticism, how else can you explain the GOOD and BAD points here? Jkops should work harder to avoid such crimes, rather than spend their time worrying about their reputation.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Suzuki and her parents had visited police at around 9 a.m. Tuesday to seek help after Ikenaga allegedly lay in wait near their home and accosted them on several occasions, TBS reported.

As some have posted here, not all the blame can be directed to the J-Cops even though they may have some part. I think the big problem is that from learning from previous posts, the self-defense laws here in Japan are such that if the girl and her parents had actually done something to this guy to make him stop, they would be at fault and get into trouble. I can see a scenario where the parents don't want to get into any type of trouble, so they just go along with the system as it.

I am going on a limb on this part, but I take it that this perp is a mixed person by the sake of his name. So I would say that in his mind, he may have known about the diffrence between the system between USA/Japan and probably guessed he could get away with it, in regards to having the father greet him with a loaded gun at the door the next time he was hanging around their house, but then with the "relative ease" that the current self defense laws make honest people here in Japan, this guy just played the odds in his favor.

RIP for the girl, and may the family find peace. I hope that the J-cops do a good investigation, and if the Koban cop is at fault then act accordingly.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Alphaape, why would you assume that he was half-American?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Again, I am not gonna blame the cops. This loon had been stalking her for quite some time and it was only by coincidence he killed her the same day she went to the cops. She and her parents should have gone to the cops as soon as he started stalking her. However, even if she had gone to the cops earlier there is virtually nothing they can do besides warning him unless he actually assaults her. It's a sad scenario that seems to repeat itself very often hear in Japan.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Alphaape said: "in regards to having the father greet him with a loaded gun at the door the next time he was hanging around their house"

Great idea, that or a baseball bat to his head. We all know that most all stalking cases end with the victim being murdered. Father goes to jail, maybe, but at least he can look at himself in the mirror knowing he saved his daughter. No brainer in my books.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

half filipino

0 ( +1 / -1 )

My daughter home stayed in NZ, was harassed on her way home from school. Police were rang they were there in 10min. Next morning they drove her and picked her up from school and continued to do this for a week and had extra regular patrols around her area.. They also gave the description to all members patrolling and the schools in the local area. Got him and charged in. Court demanded he receive appropriate psychological care during his custody and after. Police can do the job and they can stop murders if they choose to. Jump on the small things act quickly and they don't have to apologise after. There are people who are known and who will escalate their behaviour, called profiling and job experience or being serious about protecting people.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

He doesn't appear to be of mixed heritage

Its going around that he is half Filipino.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

For those wondering about the phone calls, .... If the accused had answered the phone, they could have triangulated his position and then gone to pick him up for questioning and warning.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The only way this girl could have been protected is to have 24 hr. police/security protection. RIP and condolences to the family.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The police officer who dealt with their case called Ikenaga’s cell phone three times Tuesday, but his calls were not answered, police said.

I can just imagine your stereotypical older J-cop, sitting around at the koban, tries calling the stalker, gets no response, then chucks it on the 'too hard' pile with a "Shou ga nai, naaa"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Alphaape, why would you assume that he was half-American?

@ cleo: with a name like that, one would assume that he had either some American or English background. As some of posted, he may be of Filipino decent, but that doesn't mean that he may have some American background. Unlike Japan, America is a melting pot of races, so I didn't just label him based on his race, but by his name.

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

Like most cops around the world, the J cops arent interested in stopping those that harm but rather those that dont harm. Its just laziness on the part of the cops. And the taxpapyer wont say a thing.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

with a name like that, one would assume that he had either some American or English background

Or Aussie or Canadian or irish or New Zealand or Maltese or Caribbean or large parts of Africa or, as other posters are indicating, Filipino.

In how many of those countries would it be OK to answer the door with a gun in hand?

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Who cares what his name is? A murderer is a murderer.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Just as soon as a time machine is invented so that each cop can be in 10 different places at once, each and every person who reports stalking will have 24 hour police protection.

Until then, we are just going to have to deal with reality. Her family should have hired a bodyguard. Instead they let her walk around alone. Seems to me that they took the situation about as seriously as we could expect the cops to. Or the were the cops supposed to take it even more seriously than the family? Oh. Why don't they have that ancient device called a crystal ball? It would surely help them decide which stalking reports among tens of thousands will lead to one or two murders.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

cleo said: "In how many of those countries would it be OK to answer the door with a gun in hand?"

Who cares what other's think what is 'OK' or not when you or someone in your family is being stalked. People have the right to defend themselves and their family, if the cops won't do it for you.

I'd answer the door holding a bazooka if I could get my hands on one in such a case.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Chronic, I was asking in response to Alphaape's suggestion that the stalker took into consideration 'the diffrence between the system between USA/Japan and probably guessed he could get away with it, in regards to having the father greet him with a loaded gun at the door the next time he was hanging around their house'. I don't think a stalker would weight up his options, decide 'Oh this is Japan so no one has a gun so I can stalk with impunity and stab the girl if I want to'.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@cleo: my bad. Agree!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Why does everyone blam the cops? I think we should be blaming the murderer.

Stalkers hurt/kill victims all over the world. Unfortunately there are violent ones that for some reason or another want to hurt those that they stalk.

Maybe the cops could have done a little more, but a stalker like this will probably not be satisfied until his work is done. The cops are not the reason the poor girl was murdered.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Rickyvee: I agree with you that the police are bound by current laws, but when those laws CONSTANTLY result in people who report stalking/abuse and nothing being done until they are dead, you really hav to think it's high-time to change the laws. Tell me, in this case, what is the purpose of the police beyond drawing a chalk line? It's, as such, not ONLY the criminal to blame. And maybe in this case she went to the police that day, for the first time. Doesn't excuse the other murders where police were called dozens of times (and even lied about the calls at first).

What do you do about it? Park a car outside the woman's home and safeguard. Don't know about you, but I'd be much happier to see my tax money going towards police saving lives than picking up body parts.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

How many more times do we need to read about this kind of event? A woman reports being stalked to the police, they do practically nothing and she winds up murdered... in this case a young woman with her whole life ahead of her.

What do the police do when a stalker is reported? Just take a note? No officer sent around to check it out? No policewoman to comfort her and take a statement? Not even a patrol car or beat officer instructed to pass by the stalking location looking for the alleged stalker? What do they do?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

'the diffrence between the system between USA/Japan and probably guessed he could get away with it, in regards to having the father greet him with a loaded gun at the door the next time he was hanging around their house'. I don't think a stalker would weight up his options, decide 'Oh this is Japan so no one has a gun so I can stalk with impunity and stab the girl if I want to'.

@ cleo: I went to a briefing by an official who visits Americans in Japanese prisons. One of the things that caught my attention was the fact that some there have reflected that they did things that they shouldn't have because they thought that they could get away with it in Japan. You see a lot of "wanna be" thugs acting like they are really bad and if they were back in the States, they would thing twice about it.

As far as your other comment on answering the door with a gun, no I would not normally do it, but if I saw the perp who has been known to harass my daughter, I would have a one on one with him, and made sure that he saw the weapon, especially in this case since this tragic incident happened right outside her home.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

How many more cases before the police starts changing of methods ?

The only way this girl could have been protected is to have 24 hr. police/security protection.

Yes, that was their job. Like Cricky said, in some countries they do that. If they couldn't escort her to school, they could have contacted the school, local mawarisans and arranged with parents and teachers to be sure the girl was escorted at all the time when she was in the street. Not forever, but at the minimum until the weirdo was found, had his head checked and was made to either take his pills or be locked somewhere. If she had been my daughter/relative/friend, she wouldn't have been to school until they organize to escort her.

: with a name like that, one would assume that he had... background.

Not necessarily. Japanese people can change of first name very easily, and some take foreign ones as they find it's cool. Then, that changes what ?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Well, if you have a stalker problem in Japan, two words of advice............Private Security!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Tragic, but the police couldn't really do anything more than give him a call first.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Maybe the police should have contacted that volunteer group that goes around cleaning public toilets for help. Seriously, I'd like to the J Gov enact a new stalking law using this young girls name.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Apparently the guy was an acquaintance (I was wondering how the cops knew his cell phone number) and he had sent her an email 4 days previously saying that he would kill her. more information here:

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/AJ201310090051

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I dont understand, he actually accosted them so isnt that already considered an attack? Why wasnt he arrested after the complaint

So to use your logic if I went to the police and filed a complaint on you, true or otherwise, the cops should arrest you on my word alone?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I don't think a stalker would weight up his options, decide 'Oh this is Japan so no one has a gun so I can stalk with impunity and stab the girl if I want to'.

You wanna bet? I think many violent criminals think exactly like that - stalkers in particular since it tends to be such a cowardly crime.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Guy's not too bright either (and has questionable fashion sense). A purple turbin? Sure, wear something easily identifiable when committing murder. Then continue wearing the same item afterwards. This guy deserves to be locked away for his pure stupidity.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I dont understand, he actually accosted them so isnt that already considered an attack? Why wasnt he arrested after the complaint

So to use your logic if I went to the police and filed a complaint on you, true or otherwise, the cops should arrest you on my word alone?

Yubaru... I would expect the police to at least call around and ask questions at the very least. Not just take a note, try a few calls and give up. If someone accuses another person of a crime it's the police force's duty to investigate that accusation.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Death threats and all they could do was make three phone calls. This tragic death seems to have been totally preventable to me.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I have had personal bad dealings with cops globally and all have their bad in their own cultural way. However, to blame Japanese cops on this is ridiculous. Firstly ,the ratio of copper to citizen is very low compared to other countries. Secondly, the number of daily stalker complaints in Japan is horrendous with many not being reported in a timely manner. Thirdly, a lot of them are prevented which , of course, never get the media play that this particular crime has received, after the fact. Finally, many stalker based crimes are not so obviously "morbid" until the crime has been commited which often the media portrays as having been preventable. Unfortunately the stalker based murder statististics will never be zero.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So to use your logic if I went to the police and filed a complaint on you, true or otherwise, the cops should arrest you on my word alone?

Yes, that's what they do for other crimes. If I accuse you of assault, unless they are immediately sure I'm telling BS, they come to arrest you, take you to their office to get your version, that's a minimum. And they may keep you there only a few minutes if you can be cleared. And that's not the biggest inconvenience in life. How many times are you delayed in an airport as they check everybody for bombs ? In Japan, does terrorism kill more than stalkers ? Stalking is both a crime and a danger, they should treat it as such. For a "tonari no meiwaku", I accept that they say "We'll try to call your neighbor about that dog barking all day...", not for a death threat by a creep.

my word alone?

If you falsely accuse someone, you can be prosecuted. If they don't believe you, and then you're murdered... what do you propose ? They have to trust apparent victims. That happened to my sister to be falsely accused. A nutter filed a claim saying she had chased her with her car in the street. The woman had bruises, she seemed serious. When my sister arrived at the police center, they found the car color and model were different and she was not at all "a big woman in her 70's" as described by the accuser. Later, the nutter's family and her children explained she suffered from some kind of dementia. The police can't read minds, but I think they did things in the good order, checking the suspect first.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

@Magnus Roe

middle names aren't technically possible in the Japanese system

Not true. Both our sons have middle names which are recorded on their "koseki tohon" as well as in their Japanese passports.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well, if you have a stalker problem in Japan, two words of advice............Private Security!

I'd have a slightly different advice................................. a mate's visit! - My GF was stalked by an ex. He was sending twenty to thirty emails every day. Appearing at the station at random times and generally being a royal Richard. She went to the cops and was told there was nothing they could do. They told her to change her phone number and move! Myself and a few of my friends (Japanese friends) waited for him at the station and 'calmly' pointed out that he is just one guy and we know where he lives. We went on to explain to him that if he was to continue his pathetic BS he would find himself on the wrong end of a more 'unfriendly' visit from myself and my friends. We 'asked' him to email my GF and apologize and to never contact her again for his own good. He emailed her, apologized and disappeared. - Most of these losers are weak little twits that don't have any backbone at all and get off on intimidating a person that won't fight back. They are 'usually' very easily discouraged, but waiting for the cops to do it is just a waste of time.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

There have been a lot of stories about stalking lately here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yubaru... I would expect the police to at least call around and ask questions at the very least.

@Thunderbird2--Where does it say these actions were not taken?

Also, where exactly were they supposed to call around to? For all we know, he always stalked at the train station and this was the first time to be anywhere near her home. Or, the family reported he was only and always near their home after 9 p.m.

It never ceases to amaze me how many details articles leave out, and how easily people just fill them in all with imagination. Catching any sort of criminal in the act is a damned difficult business. Anyone who thinks its easy should stop mucking about and become a P.I. and show these cops how its done. Good luck to anyone who takes up that challenge.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It appears that the two were fairly well acquainted if these photos are anything to go by- http://n-v-stavrogin.jugem.jp/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just been watching on NHK News, they say the parents, after being told by the girl's school to contact the police, told the police they 'didn't want it to develop into a stalker situation' - in other words, it wasn't a stalker situation at the time they spoke to the police. Sounds like it wasn't the police who were not taking the problem seriously.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Poor girl must have been scared to death. Damn!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I don't think the police in my home country would act any differently, especially if this was the FIRST time they visited the police. The police have to do due dilligence to make sure this threat is serious... they can't accept every story on face value until they investigate and prove it.. then they can act, bring in the stalker, arrest him, etc..

If this system doesn't work then any person can walk into a koban and demand the police arrest someone for following them.. truthful or not

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What they could have done was position their "bike checking" super cops around the girls house. They could have spotted him and handled it from there. The cops had 8hours to think of something. Sad

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Advisement. Read the latest Cleo's post.

Many posters here want the police to act like in the movie "Minority Report" where police arrest murderers before they commit the crime based on predicting the future.

And as usual, hindsight is always 20/20 where we have the usual j-cop bashers joining in on the parade.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Such a horrible story. Poor darling didn't deserve that at all, may she R.I.P

I don't really see how anyone could be pointing fingers at anyone other than the loser that killed her though. I can't be any more supportive of the J cops. I used to think they were useless until a few weeks back. Had a run in with a pervert while out walking in the middle of nowhere. I was too upset to go to the Koban so I called them once I got home. They asked me a million questions, took my number and I thought that was it. Got a call back from the bigger station about an hour later and that afternoon I had detectives come for statements and evidence, a million photos, and the promise that there would be a patrol car. I've had calls to see if I'm okay, I've seen the local police on patrol and they've also just come to check up and say hi. Not all police in Japan are sitting around waiting for someone to confess to a crime.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I thought it was strange that the police asked her to "bring the threatening emails back the next day so they could prepare to file a charge against him". Couldn't she just have sent them?! Poor girl.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

we had a bit of a problem with that here with a korean girl living in my apartment flat was being stalked by a creep. I spoke to the other guys in my place. A little weed of a man we found about a block away from the complex after she came rushing in one night. All four of us showed up and corralled him and had the girl call the cops. Good thing too. Turns out the guy had a history of mental problems. But considering each of us out massed him considerably, it wouldn't have been much of a problem.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The j-cops probably followed the book but the book is seriously lacking, or the officer didn't have the brass to arrest the fool for harassment right away. There are times when the death penalty applies, as much as I hate to admit it.

Saul, be careful. The rules change when a gaijin has an altercation with a Japanese national. You did the right thing in my book but by the book the J-cops use you were pretty close to assault charges if the freak had complained.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Why are people blaming the cops for this one? Were they supposed to send out their entire force after the initial complaint with zero concrete evidence that there was any stalking?

Blame the idiot who did the stalking and hope he gets a very very long time behind bars.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Alphape: So I would say that in his mind, he may have known about the diffrence between the system between USA/Japan and probably guessed he could get away with it,

Where does it say he's American or has an American parent? And why in the world would people be thumbing down Cleo for pointing out the obvious? Britain and France have had kings named Charles and James was one of the original 12 apostles so how in the world do you figure that they are "American" names?

One of the things that caught my attention was the fact that some there have reflected that they did things that they shouldn't have because they thought that they could get away with it in Japan. You see a lot of "wanna be" thugs acting like they are really bad and if they were back in the States, they would thing twice about it.

I highly doubt people move to Japan and think stalking is what they are going to be able to get away with. I'd imagine it's more along the lines of selling drugs, theft and the like. Neither would I say stalking is "thuggish" behavior so much as it is some sort of mental illness, as explained in this:

"Stalkers tend to have both -- a mental illness and a personality disorder," Dr. Meloy, a psychiatrist affiliated with the University of California at San Diego, said in an interview. '"And those who stalk strangers are more likely to be psychotic than those who stalk prior sexual intimates. The latter are more likely to be drug or alcohol abusers with a dependency personality disorder."

I certainly wouldn't classify someone who stalks and threatens the object of their stalking the same as someone who robs houses, joins a gang or sells drugs. And before the responses start flying, no, I'm not saying stalkers shouldn't be punished.

randoman: Firstly, the ratio of copper to citizen is very low compared to other countries.

True, I didn't check many countries but even a cursory check indicates that the numbers don't really seem to bear that out what you've said on the number of police in Japan to the number of citizens being very low compared to other countries. However, I am not jumping on the blame the police bandwagon here.

Japan police to citizens = 1:454 U.S. police to citizens = 1:400 UK police to citizens = 1:438 China police to citizens = 1:675 Canada police to citizens = 1:504

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sounds like it wasn't the police who were not taking the problem seriously.

Not only the police. Good think that the school intervened. But that was obvious from the article that despite the fresh threat, nobody in her family arranged to pick her up at school, they didn't even tell her to take a taxi, she was made to walk back on her own.

That seems to be a family of high society famous people, all afraid for their reputation and show-biz career and the killer seemed also related to gennokai, so could be they were afraid "to make waves" . And the family and agency told the girl (a teen tarento a la AKB48) to gaman, as otherwise she would get a reputation of not getting along with coworkers... If that's the situation, that's even sadder.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This is why folks gotta carry switch blade and pepper spray! Better in prison alive rather than 6 feet under the ground.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

why not walk the girl home since both her and her family were being accosted? Why not others either? Could have been J-cops, a teacher, someone. Even a few friends. Start a walk safe program. Is there nothing?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Sad. Strike, that, really sad.

I'd like to ask all of you your advice. What to do here?

A friend of mine has a daughter. In her junior year in high school, she had an ex who started to exhibit stalking behavior. Driving by the house. Calling/texting. Some internet following. I recomended my friend take these as early warning signs and deal immediately with the problem. My friend didn't know what to do, and asked me to deal with it.

So I paid the kid's house a visit, and talked with him with his parents. I explained the law, which seemed to scare the crap out of him. It certainly brought his parents down on him hard.

I think the kid failed to understand what he was doing and that is why our little chat woke him up. I wonder if that approach would work on a young man like the one here.

Whaddya all think?

I guess what I am asking is, if I knew some $$$hole was stalking my daughter, I'd warn him off in very clear terms.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is very hard for victims to reveal such embarassing but dangerous threats and no one in this case did what they should have, the Principal should have called the police immediately, the parents should have taken her to the police the first time they were stalked by this horrible criminal and the police should have given her protection immediatly until they had arrested the attacker. There is ample eividence that any threat of this kind has a more than 50% percent chance of being carried out very soon after it is given. Women die every day because of this kind of failure of law enforcement not only in Japan but all over the world. It is not just the Japanese Police but they are usually so good about a lot that i hope they take this lesson to heart very very seriously. I am so sad for this poor girl and her family and i hope that they give the criminal a life sentence he took a life and he should lose his. Execution would be the best. Would give a clear message to others.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Yubaru... I would expect the police to at least call around and ask questions at the very least. Not just take a note, try a few calls and give up. If someone accuses another person of a crime it's the police force's duty to investigate that accusation.

All in the space of a half-a-day? Tell me just what police force in the world would have had the guy in custody for questioning that fast, unless of course he walked in their front door?

Also did you even take the time to READ the article?

It's not the JP's fault that this happened, and anyone that lays the blame on them is nuts in my opinion.

An investigation takes time, and what you are thinking is that the JP's can make miracles happen. Naive at best.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I guess what I am asking is, if I knew some $$$hole was stalking my daughter, I'd warn him off in very clear terms.

@JTDanMan--Exactly. But so many here expect the police to take care of everything while doing the impossible, then they get mad at the result.

And by this I am not suggesting people take the law into their own hands. I am just saying people need to take their own matters into their own hands. You don't need legal authority to sit people down and tell them what is what. You don't need legal authority to get a friend to help you or walk you home. You don't need legal authority to hire a bodyguard or P.I. And it all beats sitting around waiting the for police to perform some sort of miracle and not get it.

Scapegoating the cops for the failure of the family and the girl to do the many things they legally could have done will not save anyone or bring her back from the dead.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The ChronicOCT. 09, 2013 - 11:27AM JST Article says, the stalker accosted the family on several occasions??? WTF???? Speaking only for myself, as a father I would turn that punk into mince meat the first time he ever tried anything with, or said anything threatening to my kid.

Mr Chronic i'm with you all the way on this. I would do the same without any hesitation or fear of prosecution. Loved one's are most important. Everything else does not matter.

Parents should understand the police have procedures in place and in some cases like this it can backfire. The law is useless sometimes. That's the way the law is created. Just like using excessive force to protect yourself or someone else.

Stalkers are total nuts and they should be handled immediately before these types of tragedies occur.

I just don't get how could the parents let their daughter walk around by herself knowing full well that the nut was stalking her. It's just beyond me. Some folks are just so much in a passive reactive state of mind. And this type of mentality can be very costly.

As i said before, anyone try something funny with loved ones and it will get 100% physical - serve and protect your family!

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Stalkers are total nuts and they should be handled immediately before these types of tragedies occur.

So let's just throw due process out the window and toss all people who are accused, rightly or otherwise, like the guys who are accused of being pervs on a train, into jail without a thought for their rights.

I just don't get how could the parents let their daughter walk around by herself knowing full well that the nut was stalking her. It's just beyond me. Some folks are just so much in a passive reactive state of mind. And this type of mentality can be very costly.

This is more on the mark. How could the family, a single child, allow their child to be alone, when they KNEW that she could be a potential victim?

My sister was the victim of a rape, sadly there was nothing we could have done to prevent it, and the guy that raped her was a serial rapist. After it happened, we had lived in a "safe" neighborhood, or so we thought, every night, I mean EVERY night, either me or one of my brothers or father, went to the bus stop and walked with her and my other sisters home at night.

We ALL wish we had done it sooner, but thankfully she recovered, but we had NO prior inkling that anything would have happened.

This family KNEW, and while they went to the cops, THEY had a responsibility to keep her safe, not the cops at the time. ONLY a half day after they reported it was she killed. HER parents SHOULD have done something to help her be safe.

Heiwa boke.............

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Where does it say he's American or has an American parent? And why in the world would people be thumbing down Cleo for pointing out the obvious? Britain and France have had kings named Charles and James was one of the original 12 apostles so how in the world do you figure that they are "American" names?

@ ambrosia: My comments were a generalization that the perp could have a western background. I only pointed to America as a generalization. I realize that those are common names in Western socieities and I am sure if the background of this guy ever really gets out, one would be able to tell more accurately.

As far as bad people coming to a place of relative safety to do bad things, that happens. Why would one go to a place to do a crime if they could face others with just a nefarious plans also? As others have pointed out, when some stalkers are confronted, they normally back away.

Just been watching on NHK News, they say the parents, after being told by the girl's school to contact the police, told the police they 'didn't want it to develop into a stalker situation'

Just the fact that the parents are reported to have said that they didn't want to cause a scene and create a stalking case, and if reports are true that the perp has known this girl for awhile, then he knew what he was doing in regards to not worrying about reprisals for his actions. Had the parent gone to the police and wanted stalking charges, or better yet just had a "nice" converstaion with the boy about leaving his daughter alone, maybe things would have been different. But this guy figured he could get away with it.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I don't get it!! We form a society with rules and order. We abide by them. We depend on them. And when we most need them, being criminally challenged, it's always the same old routine story... Law enforcement, no matter where you life wips out at you with "regulations". And if you try to handle it on your own, then you become the perpetrator.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

My comments were a generalization that the perp could have a western background. I only pointed to America as a generalization.

The problem with that is that America does not stand, violent crime-wise, on a par with the rest of the western world. America has way more guns than any other western nation (Roughly double the number per 100 residents of even Switzerland, where every household is obliged by law to have a firearm) and (yet?) also way more serious assaults - 10 times more as a percentage of the population than Switzerland, 1.5 times more than Germany or Canada, twice as many as New Zealand. Japan has less than a tenth the number of serious assaults that the US has, so the idea that bad guys are flocking from America to Japan to attack people because they know they can get away with it simply doesn't stand up, on any level.

America is not a generalisation for the west.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I once tried to help a Korean girl track down her stalker whom had tried to brake into her apartment one night. It was creepy on both ends. In the end I was unsure whom the stalker truly was. She had stolen his cat in retaliation for breaking up with her... and in his eyes he was simply trying to get his cat back. Looking back I feel she was going out of her way to set him up. I feel bad for the Japanese girl's family. This case seems pretty cut and dry!

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alphaape: My comments were a generalization that the perp could have a western background. I only pointed to America as a generalization. I realize that those are common names in Western socieities and...

That's just weird. Why would you even make that generalization? There are stalkers in every society. Why assume the guy is from the States? Why not just wait or do the research to find out where he is from? He's got a Japanese last name so why not assume he's from here or is the non-Japanese part of his heritage someone more important now that he's committed a violent crime?

......I am sure if the background of this guy ever really gets out, one would be able to tell more accurately.

Yes, one would assume that if his background gets out we'd be able to tell where he's from.

As far as bad people coming to a place of relative safety to do bad things, that happens. Why would one go to a place to do a crime if they could face others with just a nefarious plans also? As others have pointed out, when some stalkers are confronted, they normally back away.

I'm not disputing that people go to other countries to commit crimes but stalking isn't quite the same as crimes against property, white collar crimes or organized crime. I highly doubt some sick individual sits down and thinks to him or herself "Gee, Japan is a pretty safe country. I think I'll go there and stalk someone". Sorry, but that just makes no sense.

cleo: The problem with that is that America does not stand, violent crime-wise, on a par with the rest of the western world.

Are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Puerto Rico considered part of the "western world"? I'm asking in all seriousness because all of them, and a load of others have much higher homicide rates than the U.S. I'm not saying violence in the U.S. is not an issue because it is, just as it is in the UK. I'm just asking because this isn't the first time I've read comments by you about the U.S. in comparison to the "western world" so I'm just wondering what you mean when you use that term.

Anyway, here's an interesting article on the topic. You've got to read it all the way through.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/jun/24/blog-posting/social-media-post-says-uk-has-far-higher-violent-c/

2 ( +2 / -0 )

America is not a generalisation for the west.

@ cleo/ambrosia: People, I simply made my comments based on what the first reports on the name of the perp was, and by no means that just because he has a foreign name that he comes from America only. If his name was Jesus (pronounced Hey sus) in America one would probably assume that he was of some hispanic heritage. Wouldn't know what part of the Hispanic diaspora he would come from, but one could make a safe assumption.

With a perps name like "Charles Thomas Ikenaga" one would assume that the perp has some ties to the world outside of Japan, and that based on the spelling of the name he would come from an English speaking country.

"Gee, Japan is a pretty safe country. I think I'll go there and stalk someone". Sorry, but that just makes no sense.

You are right, that doesn't make sense, but say this guy has lived in other places like in America, and knows that in Japan he would not have as much to fear from the father as he would say in America. Not saying that he set out to just "stalk" someone, but lets look at this case as we know them. The parents didn't want to make it a big deal of a stalking case. Obviously the two have had some kind of history and it had finally gotten to a point where the parents were afraid of the safety for their daughter since he wouldn't seem to leave her alone. Did the parents confront this guy? Did he know that they are the non-confrontational type and thus he kept at it?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I'm asking in all seriousness because all of them, and a load of others have much higher homicide rates than the U.S.

And that's the point; the whole idea of it being harder to perpetrate violence in 'the west' so people come to Japan to wreak havoc just doesn't hold water. Are people moving en masse from Argentina or Bolivia to do their stalking in the US, where it's statistically easier? I don't think so.

this isn't the first time I've read comments by you about the U.S. in comparison to the "western world" so I'm just wondering what you mean when you use that term.

It wasn't me who assumed that Ikenaga was American, or who claimed that America = the west. I was wondering what Alphaape meant when he used those terms.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japanese must remember to "you are the only who can protect yourself from danger". They are taking peace for granted.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"apanese police are useless" yeah... because they dont put a 10 man detail on the girl 24 hours a day before they seen any proof (why didnt they bring it with them the first time BTW).

What if I went to the police right now and said YOU were stalking me? I guess you would exepct nothing less than five cops to come and through you in jail and beat a confession out of you all within minutes of me going to them with zero proof on the first word of any harassment?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

That guy... what a selfish douche! Let's hope they castrate him and lock him up for a long time.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

When the crap hits the fan, and seconds count, you can depend on the police to arrive in minutes.

Basically, they can't protect you. It isn't their job. They can only take reports, investigate after the fact, and write insurance claims. People need to be more proactive in protecting themselves and those they love.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

But that was obvious from the article that despite the fresh threat, nobody in her family arranged to pick her up at school, they didn't even tell her to take a taxi, she was made to walk back on her own.

It is now being said that the killer got into the house through an unlocked 2nd floor window and waited for her. Still pretty lax for them to leave the window unlocked.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Control Freak,

Yep. What many here don't, or refuse, to understand:

the police have a hard time preventing crime. Their job is more to catch the criminal after a crime.

And this is for a very good reason: you cannot arrest someone for what they are contemplating.

Only for what they do.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the School Principal (or any other teacher) would be bound by law in Australia to report the girl's complaint to the police under 'Mandatory Reporting' laws that exist there, as opposed to a 'do it yourself' approach.

I think it's a shocking case of the vulnerable and defenceless being completely let down by support networks that are meant to protect them.

Shame.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I think it's a shocking case of the vulnerable and defenceless being completely let down by support networks that are meant to protect them.

While maybe the police could have done more, the girl didn't even show them the threatening e-mails, so they couldn't file charge.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The Dangers of infatuation/lust, what people call love these days. Safety exists where moral values are instilled in every youngster before they mature. Not where you tell them to follow their feelings and emotions. People will say Crap about police and people of Japan, but the fact is these is just another sign of a failing system.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

spiddgyy: The Dangers of infatuation/lust, what people call love these days. Safety exists where moral values are instilled in every youngster before they mature. Not where you tell them to follow their feelings and emotions. People will say Crap about police and people of Japan, but the fact is these is just another sign of a failing system.

Oh, so people back in the day didn't confuse infatuation/lust for love? Thanks, Gramps! Ever heard of this little book called Romeo and Juliet or do you think those two, crazy kids were really in love and bound to have celebrated a golden anniversary surrounded by their kids and grandkids had they just not taken the poison? History is full of love stories that, in a modern context, would be considered obsessive, stalking and creepy. Just because people nowadays have the good sense to realize that you have a right not to be stalked by someone there's no need for you to feel bitter that times have changed.

And how will trying to instill moral values stop the psychologically ill stalker?

It was always better back in the day, right? Except when it wasn't.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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