Overview
- On July 10, 2026, Iwate Prefectural Police reduced the pay of a 30-something sergeant by one‑tenth for six months, filed documents with the Morioka public prosecutor’s office on a charge of nonconsensual groping, and accepted his resignation.
- Authorities say the officer drove a patrol car to a woman’s home on November 3, 2025, allegedly touched her without consent and then sent dozens of SNS messages to her during his night shift while neglecting duties.
- Police said the officer and the woman had an 'inappropriate relationship' that lasted about 20 days from early November, and that the matter came to light in January after the officer told a superior and the woman later filed a complaint.
- Iwate police have limited public details to protect the woman’s identity and would not say whether she was known through police work, and the prefecture’s chief inspector apologized and ordered stricter ethics enforcement for all staff.
- The term used for the referral, 'shorui-sokensen,' means police have sent their file to prosecutors for review and prosecution is not yet decided; the case could prompt further internal reforms and increased public scrutiny of police conduct.