Scandal in Japan: international footballer arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a woman

Un joueur de l’équipe de football japonaise arrêté pour agression sexuelle – Image d’illustration. MAXPPP – NICOLAS GOISQUE

Trois hommes, dont un joueur de l’équipe nationale de football japonaise, ont été arrêtés pour des soupçons d’agression sexuelle sur une femme, ont rapporté mercredi des médias locaux.

Kaishu Sano, 23, and two other men also aged in their twenties are suspected of having sexually assaulted a woman in her thirties in a Tokyo hotel on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK and other media reported, citing police sources.

Called by the victim immediately after the alleged attack, the police arrested these three men near the hotel and are trying to establish the facts, according to NHK. When contacted, the Japanese police were not immediately available to comment on the case.

His old club "very concerned"

Sano, who plays in midfield and participated in this year's Asian Nations Cup with the Japanese team, signed this month with Mainz, in the German Bundesliga, where he will join after playing with the Japanese Kashima Antlers. In a press release, this club said "very concerned about the matter concerning its former player".< /p>

Willkommen, Kaishu! ✍️#Mainz05 pic.twitter.com/xxAGKD46Um

— 1. FSV Mainz 05 (@1FSVMainz05) July 3, 2024

"Due to the nature of the matter, the club is unable to confirm further details, but it will closely monitor the situation", the Japanese J-League club said.

Ito as previous

Another player from the Japanese selection, Junya Ito, who plays for a club in Reims, in the French Ligue 1, had to leave the Asian Cup at the start of the year after Japanese police confirmed that the player, accused of sexual assault by two women, was under investigation.

The alleged events took place in a hotel in Osaka, in June 2023, after a match between Japan and Peru, according to Japanese media. Ito denies the accusations and has initiated legal action against his two accusers, from whom he is demanding 200 million yen (1.2 million euros) in damages.