HYOGO (TR) – Police in Himeji City on Wednesday arrested a 25-year-old Indonesian national for allegedly groping a woman during the famous Nada Fighting Festival, reports the Kobe Shimbun (Oct. 15).
The suspect, a scaffolding worker residing in Himeji, was arrested on the spot on suspicion of non-consensual indecency.
According to the Shikama Police Station, the incident occurred at around 6:25 p.m. during the eve of the festival at the Matsubara Hachiman Shrine. The suspect allegedly approached a 30-year-old woman from behind and grabbed her breasts in the arena where the festival’s massive floats are paraded and jostled.
The suspect was caught red-handed by another festival-goer. A 25-year-old woman who was watching the floats felt someone touch her buttocks. When she turned around to look, she witnessed the man groping the 30-year-old victim’s chest and immediately subdued him on the spot.
Upon questioning, the suspect denied the allegations. “When I fell over, my hand hit her chest,” he told police.