Hokkaido police send racehorse farm and employee to prosecutors over foal abuse

En breve

Hokkaido police sent Hamamoto Bokujo, a racehorse breeding farm in Hidaka, Hokkaido, and a male employee in his 40s to prosecutors on October 5 on suspicion of Animal Welfare Act violations, with an opinion seeking a strict disposition, investigative sources told several national outlets. The suspected abuse is said to have occurred on March 13, when the man pulled one foal down by the head and beat and kicked it. Footage of the incident, captured on the farm’s internet stream of its horses, spread on social media and drew criticism.

Por qué importa

The filing moves the case to prosecutors more than six months after footage of the incident circulated online, and multiple tier-1 national outlets covered it, indicating sustained attention to how horses are handled at breeding farms. Mainichi Shimbun reported that the agriculture ministry issued a notice to production operators in March, after the video spread, telling them to be careful in handling the horses they manage. The documents describe no consequences beyond the police filing and the attached request for prosecution.

Datos clave

• Hokkaido police sent Hamamoto Bokujo, a racehorse breeding farm in Hidaka, Hokkaido, and a male employee in his 40s to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Act, according to investigative sources cited by several outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
• Police attached an opinion seeking a “strict disposition,” meaning they are asking for prosecution, outlets reported. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 ]
• The suspected abuse dates to March 13, when the man allegedly pulled one foal down by the head and beat and kicked it inside the farm, or held it to the ground and kicked and punched it, according to investigative sources. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 ]
• The farm was streaming its horses on the internet at the time, and footage of the abuse spread on social media and drew criticism. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]
• Several outlets said the papers were sent on October 5; TBS reported the farm as a corporate entity and the employee had been sent by October 6. [ 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 ]
• Sankei Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing the farm’s website, that Hamamoto Bokujo produced Tsurumaru Boy, winner of the 2004 G1 Yasuda Kinen; Nikkei described Hidaka as a racehorse production area. [ 4 , 8 , 11 ]
• Asahi Shimbun reported that the provision also punishing corporations was applied to the farm, and that police have not disclosed whether the suspects admit or deny the allegations. [ 12 ]
• Mainichi Shimbun reported that after the video spread, the agriculture ministry issued a notice in March telling production operators to be careful in handling the horses they manage. [ 9 ]

Qué dicen los medios locales

Cronología, hora local

1. A man in his 40s is suspected of pulling down one foal by the head and beating and kicking it inside a farm in Hidaka, Hokkaido. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 ]
2. After footage spreads, the agriculture ministry issues a notice to horse production operators on handling horses carefully, according to Mainichi Shimbun. [ 9 ]
3. Hokkaido police send the farm and the employee to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Act, with an opinion seeking a strict disposition. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 ]
4. 11:02Livedoor News and Nippon TV News report, citing investigative sources, that the filing was made on October 5. [ 1 , 2 ]
5. 12:01Tokyo Shimbun reports the filing, describing the farm as a G1 horse producer. [ 3 ]
6. 12:02Sankei Shimbun reports the farm is Hamamoto Bokujo in Hidaka and that its website states it produced Tsurumaru Boy, winner of the 2004 G1 Yasuda Kinen. [ 4 ]
7. 12:20Nishi-Nippon Shimbun and Yahoo! News Japan carry reports on the filing. [ 5 , 6 ]
8. 12:32TBS reports that the farm, as a corporate entity, and the male employee had been sent to prosecutors by October 6, citing a filing on October 5. [ 7 ]
9. 12:59Yomiuri Shimbun reports that the Hidaka police station sent the farm and the employee to the Shizunai district public prosecutors office. [ 8 ]
10. 15:14Mainichi Shimbun reports the farm and employee were sent to prosecutors and that the agriculture ministry had issued a March notice on horse handling. [ 9 ]
11. 15:54NHK reports that a breeding farm employee in Hidaka was sent to prosecutors on suspicion of abusing a foal. [ 10 ]
12. 16:12Nikkei reports the filing, describing Hidaka as known as a racehorse production area. [ 11 ]
13. 18:00Asahi Shimbun reports that the dual-punishment provision was applied to the farm and that police have not disclosed admissions or denials. [ 12 ]
14. 23:49TBS reports again that the farm and the employee were sent to prosecutors and that footage of the abuse appeared in the streamed video and spread on social media. [ 13 ]