Filipino ALT at Kagawa Junior High Faces Re-Arrest Over Second Student's Molestation Allegation; Board of Education Did Not Contact Police
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
It has come to light that a Filipino English conversation instructor named Abela Jion Mark Addigi, 34, of Kita Ward, Okayama City, who worked as an assistant language teacher (ALT) at a public junior high school in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, was arrested in July on suspicion of a non-consensual indecent act against a female student. He is accused of touching a female student's body over her clothing during an English class on the morning of November 10 of the previous year.
A subsequent police investigation revealed suspicion of similar indecent conduct against another female student, and it has emerged that he is set to be re-arrested over this second case on August 5. Addigi has reportedly withheld comment on whether he admits to the allegations, saying only, "I have nothing in particular to say." According to the Kagawa prefectural board of education, the school received a report of the abuse in November of the previous year and relayed it to the board in December. Despite multiple female students reporting abuse, including incidents during English tests, the board reportedly did not contact prefectural police until May of this year, after a parent made contact.
Current status: Whether the suspect admits to the re-arrest allegation, the full circumstances behind the board of education's roughly six-month delay in contacting police, and whether additional students have come forward remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.