Taxi driver in Japan arrested for sexually assaulting drunk passenger who said she ‘wanted to die’

Taxi driver in Japan arrested for sexual assault on drunk passenger who vented about life problems to him

A 72-year-old taxi driver in Japan has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s after she confided her personal struggles to him while intoxicated.

The incident took place in May this year.

Source: FNN

According to Japanese media reports, the woman had been drinking heavily and began opening up to the driver — identified as Masakazu Nakamura — during her ride home.

At one point she reportedly told him she “wanted to die”.

Nakamura allegedly tried to comfort her, saying:

A cute girl like you shouldn’t die.

Driven to carpark before alleged assault

After dropping the woman off near her home, Nakamura is said to have urged her to continue talking, telling her he would “listen more”.

Instead of ending the trip, he then drove the taxi to a nearby carpark in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward, where he allegedly committed the assault.

Source: Wikipedia, for illustration purposes only

The woman later confided in her relatives about what had happened, leading them to contact the police.

The case was subsequently investigated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Taxi driver denies assault allegations

Nakamura has admitted to engaging in sexual acts with the woman but denies the assault charges.

“I definitely did everything, but I assumed she had consented,” he reportedly told investigators.

In a separate incident earlier this year, another taxi driver in Japan was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting dozens of women over a period of more than a decade, with police reportedly finding videos on his phone dating back to 2008.