Company employee arrested for indecent assault on 15-year-old at Koshien Stadium

A 26-year-old company employee from Tokyo was arrested on August 7 on suspicion of indecent assault against a 15-year-old female middle school student at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. during the National High School Baseball Championship tournament. According to police, the man approached the student near a concession stand on the stadium's third floor and asked "Do you have a boyfriend?" He then led her to a corridor on the second floor, where he touched her thigh without consent. The student reported the incident to a nearby security guard, who alerted police. Officers found and arrested the man inside the stadium.

The suspect, identified as an employee of a company in Komae, Tokyo, has partially denied the charges. In police questioning, he stated: "It is true that I touched her shoulder and right thigh area. After touching her, we continued to have a conversation, so she did not appear to be reluctant." Police investigation contradicted this account, as the student indicated she was unwilling at the time. Both the suspect and the victim were at the stadium with separate groups of friends to watch the high school baseball tournament. The case has been handled by the Koshien Police Station.