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| Japan Footballer, Ito Investigated After Sexual Assault Reports |
Japanese police said Thursday that they have launched an
investigation into international footballer Junya Ito after local media reports
said two women had accused him of sexual assault, a claim he denies.
“We received a criminal complaint against him and have
started an investigation,” a police spokesman in Osaka working in the
department covering crimes including sexual assaults told AFP.
He declined to give further details including what the
complaint was about.
Ito is currently with the Japan team at the Asian Cup in
Qatar.
The incident involving the two women is alleged to have
taken place at a hotel in Osaka in June last year after a friendly between
Japan and Peru, media reports said.
The midfielder has denied the allegations, Kyodo news agency
reported, quoting his lawyer as saying the claims were “totally unfounded”.
While Ito did spend time with the two women, their accounts
are inconsistent and there is no physical evidence supporting their
allegations, Kyodo quoted the unnamed lawyer as saying.
Asked by AFP in Doha about Ito’s status with the team after
Japan’s round of 16 match against Bahrain on Wednesday, national coach Hajime
Moriyasu told reporters: “I’m not fully aware (of the allegation) yet. I’ll
deal with it after examining it.”
The 30-year-old was named in the matchday squad but was an
unused substitute as Japan won 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals.
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