Editorial

16:19 JST, September 7, 2025

If the authorities had listened sincerely to the complaints about stalking and responded appropriately, couldn’t the victim’s life have been saved? The results of an investigation can be said to have confirmed this speculation was correct.

The Kanagawa prefectural police released an investigative report on their handling of a case in which a woman living in Kawasaki who had reported to the police that she was being stalked was ultimately murdered by her former boyfriend.

The report concluded, “All police officers involved underestimated the danger and urgency [of the situation] and failed to take basic action.” It also stated that the prefectural police’s internal system for handling stalking cases had become a mere formality, falling into dysfunction.

As a result, the prefectural police repeatedly........

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