Not using a throwaway account because I want people to be able to reach out if they go through a similar situation or have any questions. This post will detail my experience with the police and hospital the day after being drugged and assaulted, which will hopefully help people get an idea of what to expect and urge them to take action should hey experience something similar.
I was drugged and sexually assaulted 2 nights ago. I made plans with someone to drink and watch movies /play games after work. He volunteered his own place but I insisted on mine because that’s where I feel safe. We got drinks from the conbini and arrived at my apartment. As I set up the TV he opened my drink behind my back. We started drinking and talking and he joked about me chugging the can, but Im not good with carbonation so I was just sipping. After an hour I had only gotten a fourth of the way through the can but I was suddenly hit with hallucinations (everything started to wave around in front of me without any dizziness) and slurred speech. It was very different than being drunk but my brain was so messed up all I could do was ask him if he put anything in my drink. He said no and immediately dumped the rest of my drink. After that I was weaving in and out of consciousness but remember bits of him being on top of me, me asking him to leave, and him coming back into my apartment without knocking several times before I finally found the strength to lock my door.
When I woke up I immediately realized what happened and went to the police box across the street. No showering, cleaning, or eating. I also brought the can he dumped because there was a tiny bit left. The police were very confused at first and insisted there was no crime committed because he didn’t steal anything. One officer even explained to his higher up that I had knowingly done drugs and had sex with someone, and he didn’t know why I was there. Luckily, that higher up noticed how upset I was and asked for clarification. He heard my story and asked what I wanted to do. This is important, the police will confirm exactly what you want done about the situation. I explained that I wanted to be tested at the hospital for pregnancy, etc and for the police to test me and the can for what drug I was given and to check the can for his DNA, as I want him to be prosecuted. They sent me to the main police station with the can.
At the main police station I gave my statement and submitted my urine and the can as evidence. Their questions were EXTREMELY thorough. It took several hours before they took me to the hospital.
At the hospital I recounted the events to the nurse and doctor and was given a thorough exam to check for injuries and his DNA, as well as a morning after pill just in case. They then explained to me the process of STD testing, which can start as soon as 2 weeks after the incident. I was also given resources for recovering from om such an incident. The police covered the bill for these exams.
I returned to the police station before being escorted home where officers collected finger prints from everything he touched (there’s gray powder everywhere still) and took pictures of the scene.
We returned to the station where I signed the official report of my statement and confirmed all of the evidence before being taken home.
The entire ordeal took 9 hours. I am currently waiting for updates from the police station and hospital.
If this happens to you, you deserve justice. You did nothing wrong. Preserve as much as you can from the scene and go to the police immediately. I’m happy to answer any questions and provide support to the best of my ability.
Edit: Including resources from commentors
[Hotline to receive support and escort to the police station and hospital](https://www.gender.go.jp/policy/no_violence/seibouryoku/consult.html)
[English speaking counseling and therapy](https://telljp.com/)
29 comments
Should be in a textbook how well you dealt with it. gj going to cops and being firm / knowledgeable about what you want them to do.
I’m so sorry this happened to you and please keep us updated. That sounds like an exhausting ordeal to have it reported properly.
Oh my gosh I am so sorry for what happened to you and the way you were treated in the aftermath.
That’s not ok but I am so proud of you for being strong & fighting for the justice you deserve. May that bastard pay dearly for what he did to you.
Do you have real life support? You should not have to go through this alone.
Sending you a big hug 🫂
>The police were very confused at first and insisted there was no crime committed because he didn’t steal anything.
Wtf
I’m wishing you the absolute best. What a horrible ordeal. You handled it beautifully and I am hoping you will see swift and appropriate justice.
oh no… I’m so sorry this happened to you. I hope the matter gets investigated and that guy can be prosecuted.
Jesus that’s awful, bless you for being strong enough to share your story and try to help other people! I really hope you get the care and justice you deserve
I’m so sorry this happened to you. And admire the strength you’ve shown. I too have been drugged in a foreign country and understand how terrifying it can feel. I feel weird asking about your experience, but I’m planning to raise my daughter in Japan, at least in part, and this is an aspect of Japanese culture that her mother and I would like to understand and prepare for.
Other than the initial confusion from the first officer, do you think the authorities/medical personnel took you seriously and treated you with respect and care?
If you are non-Japanese, do you think your status as a foreigner impacted their response? If so, how?
I hope my daughter would show the courage and resilience you have displayed.
I am so sorry this happened to you.
I know this must have been super difficult to go through the whole process, but at least you have done everything you can to prevent this vile person to hurt somebody else.
Now take care of yourself as much as you can so you can start the process of healing.
Thank you for sharing this. Hopefully the knowledge you put out there is useful to someone else who has to go through this process.
And hopefully whoever did this to you suffers a catastrophic washlet malfunction.
> The police were very confused at first and insisted there was no crime committed because he didn’t steal anything.
What disgusting, obtuse pieces of garbage those koban cops were. They knew full well why you were there and they tried to deflect and confuse you. In the state you were in!
Props to the higher-up, and the nurse and doctor at the police *station* for actually listening to you. And props to you for being brave enough to keep pushing after how they first treated you.
Another example of why one should go straight to the police station and not a koban.
What a fucking bastard, hopefully they get him soon and have the full weight of the law crush that little scumbag into dust. To be so brazen about it as well, I imagine this wasn’t the first time he’s done this to someone. I’m sorry you had to go through that, I don’t even know what to say other than it shouldn’t have happened to you or anyone else. I’m glad you went to the police in the end, I know that’s a tough decision and a lot of people don’t. That first cops before the higher up sound totally fucking worthless and incompetent, but unfortunately that isn’t terribly surprising. Hopefully they get reprimanded in some way as well for basically attempting to shoo an assault victim out the door without doing their jobs…
First of all, I am so sorry this happened and am livid just reading your post. Second, thank you so much for sharing your experience in detail. I think most people would feel lost and helpless in this situation. I can’t believe how well you were able to handle this. That sick mf better get charged and prosecuted soon.
I hope you are doing well yourself (physically and mentally). No one should ever have to go through something this horrible. Is there anyone you can rely on while the police are (hopefully) doing their job?
I’m really sorry that happened to you 🙁
>The police were very confused at first and insisted there was no crime committed because he didn’t steal anything. One officer even explained to his higher up that I had knowingly done drugs and had sex with someone, and he didn’t know why I was there.
This part got me especially angry!
What a scumbag. You did everything right, especially being firm with the often useless police here. I really hope that your bravery in an awful situation pays off and this guy faces the legal system and suffers for the rest of his pathetic fucking life.
Just commented to add, please don’t hesitate to seek councilling or therapy if you need it down the road. [TELL](https://telljp.com/) is a well known, not-overly-expensive and reputable source for English language services here, I have only heard good things.
I am so sorry that this happened to you! Thank you for being brave enough to share your experience! Unfortunately, but probably, it will help other people out there.
When you are able, can you tell us what Japanese phrases helped you along in your experience? I think plenty of people just give up because of the language barrier
Thank you for sharing this. I know this is an extremely painful ordeal for you to go through, but it is also extremely important for everyone to hear your story. Your courage and example can hopefully provide guidance to those in a similar situation.
I think the most important thing in this incident is how you handled the police. I have made many jokes before about how useless Japanese police are, but if a crime happens, you should definitely report it to the police. If they refuse to help at first, be insistent and keep pushing. If its important enough, make your voice be heard and they’ll do the right thing and help you.
I’m so glad the police eventually took it seriously and sounds like they have everything covered in terms of testing for your health and also gathering the necessary evidence. Hope that POS gets caught. You still have his contact info and can catch him that way. Bet he’s not used to someone actually reporting his crimes and will be easy to catch.
Damn that piece of shit guy should be caught asap.
I’ve read a similar ordeal of a japanese woman on twitter.
Some guy sitting right behind her in a bus was trying to slip a small pill in her water bottle but accidentally dropped it.
The moment it happened, he ran out of the bus when it stopped. The girl saw that he dropped the pill and first told the bus driver about it who told her to take the pill to the police station.
Later it was found out it was a sleeping pill.
Be careful people, creeps are doing crazy stuff in japan these days.
I’m sorry this happened to you, and I’m incredibly impressed with how well you acted. On top of that, you are allowing people to message you for help if needed, just incredible.
In these cases its incredibly crucial to know what to do, and you did everything literally perfect, I hope they catch that monster and put him where he belongs.
I’m so sorry this happened to you.
As someone who had the same experience of being raped during a date here in Japan, you are an amazing and strong person ❤️ I didnt have the strength to go to police but I have so much respect for you and hope you get the justice you deserve.
I’m so sorry someone did this to you.
With the wisdom of hindsight, do you reckon there was anything that could have been a sign of trouble? Anything to avoid?
P.S. do post an update when you feel stronger.
Just a side question, cuz I can’t do anything for the OP at all, where the hell are Japanese guys getting these drugs from?
Like it’s already mind boggling to me, given most the young Japanese men I know (from bars which is already pretty socially outward), having the balls to even try to date a foreign woman, but on top of that having the balls to buy drugs and date rape? Or for that matter knowing the people/places to acquire those things?
GJ preserving physical evidences and presenting facts providing your testimonial evidence. This is a text book response every victims should do if they can.
Ps. Koban police are often clueless on criminal investigation, as they aren’t trained to be such. Detectives at the station are the elite chosen police (usually)
Be strong. Write down everything you went through in a journal. The legal fight takes time, but you are strong.
Let the justice happen.
Very sorry this happened to you. Well done on getting all that done. Huge respect.
When I was a student (I am male) my best friend (who is female) and I were out at a bar. A couple of guys started chatting to us and getting friendly – they seemed nice enough. At some point they must have spiked BOTH our drinks (to target my friend I presume and to get me out of the equation). I suddenly became very, very tired and couldn’t shake it off. I felt that at any second I would collapse. I didn’t actually suspect at the time I was drugged, but I knew something wasn’t normal and I needed to get my friend out of there as she was even worse off that me. I remember dragging my friend across my shoulder and forcing myself to a nearby phone box (no mobiles in those days!). I called a friend to come and get us home. The guys from the bar followed us the whole way trying to get us to come back. They could probably have flicked me over at that point and carried my friend away – but I’m taller than average and played rugby and judo at uni, so probably looked a physical challenge either way. It was an absolute ordeal to travel maybe 50m to that phone. I don’t remember much after that, but friends got us home safe. I didn’t call the police, mostly because I wasn’t entirely sure what happened, but over time it became obvious, and I really regret that I didn’t. My friends even arranged a posse to track the guys down, but to no avail.
Being on your own and in your home, with nowhere to escape, and with that happening must have been absolutely terrifying. To have the whereabouts to put yourself through a further ordeal with the police is heroic.
Thank you for your bravery.
Just wanna say it’s amazing that you kept yourself together enough to report it (not everyone does) and even more so that you’re willing to share. Statistically speaking, someone who has read your post will go through something similar in the future and knowing what to do instinctively is HUGE.
I am so sorry you went through that. Fucking horrible what some people will do to others. I hope you find justice. I’m rooting for you.
One thing I will put out there. Therapy if you can afford it with someone who specializes in traumatic events and how to process them. Don’t do just a counselor. Ideally someone with a recent degree (last 15 years. Our understanding of the science behind all this has changed dramatically in the last decade.) from a non-religious university. The sooner you start to process the less chance that trauma will have to take root in other areas of your life. It’s much easier to decatastrophize and lessen the prevalence of trauma when it is relatively recent before.
Speaking as someone with some gnarly PTSD who experiences catastrophic panic attacks myself. Wish I had known to do that earlier in life.
Two books that helped me break out of a 4 year cycle of intense breakdowns:
“Waking Up” by Sam Harris – specifically the mindfulness meditation that helps to observe your own thought patterns.
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear – gets very mechanical about how to use your environment to guide habitual associations as you need.
These on their face don’t directly deal with trauma as a primary subject, but they are extremely effective tools for A – being aware of your mental states and the cause effect relationships between emotions & B – actionable ways to build new mental associations so that you can take control of the way your mind habitually deals with stimulus. Both have good audio book versions as well.
Good luck
I have friends who’ve been sexually assaulted in Japan before, one of which I helped navigate the process (She didn’t speak Japanese). Massive kudo’s to you for going through the intensive and possibly traumatic experience of reporting & reenacting the incident for investigators. Japanese police seem to make it difficult to report certain crimes that will hurt their statistics. When and if a full report is submitted, their detectives will work very hard and diligently to catch the offender.
If they haven’t arranged & executed an arrest warrant yet – you may not want to publicly post too many details that may alert him to his impending fate.
In Japan – once the guy is arrested, they will lean on him ***hard*** for ***3~7 weeks***. If he doesn’t confess, you will likely go to court, and he will very likely receive a custodial sentence. If he confesses – you may be asked/offered a ‘settlement’ amount to agree to drop the charges. If he’s remorseful, and cooperates entirely with the police – the police may even push you to take the settlement. The ethics of this have always concerned me – but this is an option, and likely something that may come up.
Being drugged and sexually assaulted in a foreign country is horrific. I sincerely hope you get the help you need to overcome this, and the perp gets forced to pay for his crimes.