Police in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, have admitted mistakes in dealing with a stalking case that led to the murder of a 20-year-old woman.



The Kanagawa Prefectural Police on Thursday released a report on its review of how officers responded to the complaints from the woman that she was being stalked.



The report says the police systems for handling stalking cases had become a mere formality and failed to function.



Okazaki Asahi from Kawasaki City went missing last December. Her partially skeletonized body was found in April at her former boyfriend's home in the city.



The ex-boyfriend, Shirai Hideyuki, was arrested in May. The 28-year-old has since been indicted on a murder charge.



Okazaki's bereaved family argued that the police failed to respond appropriately even though she had repeatedly told them that Shirai was stalking her.



Before she went missing, Okazaki phoned a local police station nine times in December to tell them that the ex-boyfriend was hanging around her home.



But the report says all the officers who talked to her over the phone underestimated the risks and urgency of the case.



It says that as a result, they barely carried out an initial investigation as they should have done.



The report also says the police failed to recognize the danger to the woman and did not look into the case even after her family asked them to investigate her disappearance.



The report points out that the police station made its own decisions without seeking advice from the prefectural headquarters. It also says the headquarters failed to act even after obtaining partial information on the case.



The report says the police take seriously the grave consequences of the murder of a woman who had sought their help, and they sincerely apologize for their inappropriate responses.
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Quiz 1:
What was one of the criticisms against the Kanagawa Prefectural Police regarding the stalking case?
A. They responded appropriately to all complaints from the victim.
B. Their systems for handling stalking cases had become a mere formality and failed to function.
C. They thoroughly investigated all leads related to the missing woman's case.
D. They sought advice from the prefectural headquarters in every decision they made.

Quiz 2:
What was the outcome of Okazaki Asahi's disappearance?
A. She was found safe and sound.
B. Her partially skeletonized body was found at her ex-boyfriend's home.
C. The police immediately initiated a full investigation after her family requested it.
D. Okazaki's ex-boyfriend was arrested in January.

Quiz 3:
What action did the police station take that was criticized in the report?
A. They carried out an initial investigation as they should have done.
B. They failed to recognize the danger to Okazaki and did not look into her case even after her family asked them to investigate her disappearance.
C. They sought advice from the prefectural headquarters in every decision they made.
D. They responded appropriately to all calls from Okazaki despite underestimating the risks and urgency of the case.

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: B
Quiz 3: B