Japan Baseball Player Yamakawa Referred to Prosecutors for Alleged Rape

   Tokyo, May 23 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo police referred Japanese professional baseball player Hotaka Yamakawa to public prosecutors Tuesday for allegedly raping a female acquaintance in her 20s at a Tokyo hotel last November.
   The Metropolitan Police Department left the decision on whether to indict him up to prosecutors, instead of requesting an indictment, as there are discrepancies in statements given by Yamakawa and the woman, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
   The 31-year-old Saitama Seibu Lions slugger is believed to have admitted to going to the hotel with the woman, but said that the acts were consensual, the sources said.
   The woman has already filed a complaint with police. Yamakawa and the woman had previously met on several different occasions.
   Yamakawa, who was also a member of the Japan team that won the World Baseball Classic in March, has won the home run title three times so far. He was removed from the Seibu Lions' active roster on May 12 after a magazine news website reported the scandal.

(2023/05/23-16:23)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.