'A man in his 50s jumps in front of a train and dies'... Shocking reversal in Japan one year later

3 Years of Assault, Forced Molestation, and Group Bullying
"Complete Physical and Mental Domination"
Murder Charge Applied Instead of Aiding Suicide

The truth behind the incident last year in Japan where a man died after entering a train crossing has been uncovered. The police believe he was effectively murdered due to bullying by his coworkers and have arrested the suspects.

On the 10th, local media including the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Mr. A (39), the president of a seal company in Tokyo, and three employees in their 30s on December 8th on charges of murder and confinement. The incident occurred around midnight on December 3rd last year at a train crossing located in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo. At that time, Mr. B (56) walked onto the crossing and was hit by a train, resulting in his death. The case initially seemed to have concluded as a suicide. However, it was later revealed that Mr. B had been confined by Mr. A and others on the day of the incident, prompting a renewed investigation.

Photo unrelated to the article. Pixabay

Mr. B had worked at Mr. A’s company, which promoted itself as a "family-like company" on its official website, since 2015 but had not been properly paid before the incident. Investigations revealed that the suspects had been subjecting Mr. B, who was about 20 years older than them, to physical assault, harsh treatment, verbal abuse, and forced molestation as part of group bullying for about three years. They tied Mr. B’s hands and feet, beat him, applied professional wrestling moves, inserted sticks into his anus causing injuries and burns. Additionally, it was confirmed that they recorded photos and videos of the abuse using their mobile phones.

On December 2nd last year, about two hours before the incident, around 11:40 PM, Mr. A and others assaulted Mr. B near his home and then confined him in a car. They demanded that Mr. B jump into a river, but when he refused, they moved to the train crossing where the incident occurred. Mr. B then walked onto the crossing by himself, and Mr. A and others parked their car nearby and removed the crossing barrier that had been blocking entry. Shortly after, a train approached at high speed, causing the accident. This sequence of events was fully captured on nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV).

The Japanese police stated, "They completely controlled Mr. B physically and mentally, driving a person who had no intention to die to death," and charged the coworkers with murder. It is unusual in Japan to apply murder charges to suspects who did not directly commit the killing rather than charges of assisting suicide. The police concluded that Mr. B was forced into a situation where he had no choice but to walk onto the tracks and sent Mr. A and others to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on the 9th.