Stalkers Could Be Issued Warnings Even Without Complaints Being Filed; Police Seek to Act Quickly to Prevent Severe Stalking Harm

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:22 JST, August 30, 2025

In a move aimed at swiftly deterring stalkers, the National Police Agency is considering introducing a system under which police would have the authority to issue warnings to stalkers without receiving a complaint from a victim.

Under the current Anti-Stalking Law, a victim must file a complaint before the police can issue a warning. But as stalking is becoming a more serious issue, the police may seek to revise the law to remove that requirement.

Under the current law, a police station chief or other senior official can issue a warning letter ordering the recipient to desist from stalking behavior or other actions only after the victim has filed a complaint. However, victims in many cases do not want police to actively intervene because they fear retaliation from the perpetrator or are unaware that they are at risk.

In April, the body of a 20-year-old woman was found in a house in Kawasaki. Her former boyfriend, 28, was later charged with murder and other crimes in this case. The woman had repeatedly told the Kanagawa prefectural police that she was being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. However, the prefectural police determined that the situation had not reached the point where the law would allow for a warning to be issued.

Following this incident, the agency in May contacted police forces across the nation and ordered them to give top priority to the safety of victims when handling stalking cases. The agency has also been exploring measures to prevent further such incidents from occurring.

Police across Japan have consistently received many consultations about stalking in recent years, including a total of about 20,000 in 2024. However, the number of cases in which warnings are issued has been declining, with the 2024 figure reaching just 1,479, down 55 from the year before.

The law was revised in December 2016 to enable the issuance of a restraining order even without a warning being issued, so that stalkers can be prevented from approaching their victims. However, observers have pointed out that a restraining order is a heavier administrative punishment than a warning, so considerable time is required to collect sufficient evidence and conduct all required procedures.

The agency therefore decided that if police determine there are concerns that a stalking case could develop into a serious incident, a warning will be swiftly issued. The agency believes this will be more effective in preventing stalking cases from escalating.

Relatedly, the police also plan to clamp down on the misuse of tracking tags, which are used to pinpoint the location of a person or item and can therefore be used to stalk someone.

The misuse of tracking tags in stalking cases is growing. These devices reveal their location by sending a signal wirelessly to a smartphone. The agency plans to crack down on actions that reveal a person’s location without their consent, such as slipping such devices into their belongings.