|
感叹：日本一警察为休假而自残 Japanese policeman stabbed self to avoid work [ 2007-06-05 16:41 ] A Japanese policeman, distraught by working long hours andweekends for two months, stabbed himself in the stomach with a knife toget some time off, police said Monday. The 44-year-old officer knifed himself at his homein northwestern Japan on May 23, but told police he had been attacked,prompting an attempted murder investigation, Ishikawa prefecture police said in astatement.Investigators began to suspect his story after they could not findevidence of anyone who matched the description the officer had given, apolice spokesman said.Suspicions were also raised because the officer - identified asTomoyuki Mukaide in the Asahi newspaper - had waited about an hour beforereporting the alleged attack, the spokesman said. His wounds were notlife-threatening.The officer, whose name was not released by police, had been in chargeof a disaster relief detail following a March 25 earthquake in the areathat killed one person injured more than 300, and damaged or destroyedmore than 14,800 homes.Police thought he had become distraught over his health after puttingin long hours without a break in the quake's aftermath, and wanted to getaway from work."He became very busy, he felt like he couldn't handle the work he hadto do, and he felt the work was weighing him down," said the spokesman.The officer admitted he had stabbed himself in questioning followinghis May 31 release from the hospital, the spokesman said. The case is nowbeing investigated as filing a false report, a misdemeanor.Japanese workers often face long overtime hours and weekends withlittle or no compensation.Death from overwork, known as "karoshi," has steadily increased sincethe Health Ministry first recognized the phenomenon in1987. | 
