The man who was left having to use a wheelchair after he was assaulted by a maskless man is seen in Hyogo Ward, Kobe, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Mainichi/Kotaro Ono)

       KOBE -- A 65-year-old man who was left with lower body paralysis after he was attacked in this west Japan city by a man he warned for not wearing a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic has described the fear and regret he has over the case in an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun.

       The victim said he "might as well have been killed" now that he has to use a wheelchair in his daily life, but added, "I couldn't forgive people who cause difficulties for others. Now I think it would have been better if I hadn't cautioned him."

       On Dec. 7, Hyogo Police Station arrested Ryuta Watanabe, 25, from Kobe's Nagata Ward, on suspicion of causing injury. He is specifically accused of choking the older man, who he did not know, and slamming him to the ground in a parking lot in the city's Hyogo Ward at around 12:30 p.m. on May 31, 2020, leaving him with serious injuries. Shortly after his arrest, Watanabe reportedly told police, "There's no doubt that I slammed his back down, but I don't remember choking him."

       The assault occurred 10 days after the first state of emergency was lifted. At the time, the prefectural government was calling on residents to refrain from leaving their homes for non-urgent and non-essential reasons. The man was out with his friend to get lunch together when he spotted a maskless Watanabe in a parking area. The older man then cautioned him to "wear a mask."

       The parking lot where the man cautioned a younger man for not wearing a mask is seen in Hyogo Ward, Kobe, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Mainichi/Kotaro Ono)

       The man says he doesn't fully remember what happened next, but the woman who was with him said that Watanabe replied, "I don't want to be told that by some old man." It then developed into a scuffle, with the suspect pushing the man's shoulder. Watanabe's physical assault of the victim reportedly continued for around five minutes, with the woman shouting at him, "let him go, he'll die!"

       The man was sent to the hospital by ambulance and underwent emergency surgery. He suffered serious spinal damage. Now he has lower body paralysis, and is forced to use a wheelchair in his daily life. He cannot freely move his fingers, and sometimes his legs spasm and suddenly become painful. He receives daily help from a carer.

       Speaking to the Mainichi Shimbun at his home, the man revealed he had in the past cautioned other maskless individuals walking down the street out of thoughts that he wanted to "stop the spread of infections." He would check new daily infection numbers, and his mood would be affected by the day-to-day rises and falls in cases.

       The man worked as a truck driver carrying shipping containers, but retired some years ago. He had been in good physical health, and enjoyed hobbies including golf. But his lifestyle has now completely changed.

       He said that, at the time of the assault, he didn't really know how he should face the pandemic, and now he thinks he went too far. With regret in his voice, he said, "The way I cautioned him might have been harsh, and I think now it would be better if I'd not said anything."

       (Japanese original by Kotaro Ono, Kobe Bureau)

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0