Former Kurashiki Ablaze head coach Hideo Suzuki has been arrested in Japan for allegedly committing indecent acts without consent against a female acquaintance.
According to a report from Sanyo Shimbun, Mizushima police took Suzuki, 48, into custody on September 10 on suspicion of approaching and groping a woman in her 20s from southern Okayama Prefecture in Kurashiki City between noon and 1:00 PM last May 17.
The case was reported to police by a friend of the victim on May 23, with investigators later solidifying the charges after interviews with related parties.
Authorities are also probing the possibility of other similar incidents.
Suzuki has denied the allegations, reportedly telling police that he had “no recollection” of the incident.
(C) PVL Images
Kurashiki Ablaze co-president Joichi Tanabe said the team will “carefully examine the information and respond appropriately,” while confirming that Suzuki had already resigned from his post on September 9, two days before the arrest.
The scandal comes just two years after Suzuki guided Kurashiki to the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference championship.
The Ablaze were initially slated to return for their third stint in the tournament last August, but the PVL announced on opening day that the Japanese guest team had withdrawn, with ZUS Coffee stepping in as a replacement.
Established in 2019, Kurashiki Ablaze is a corporate team run by a construction company where Suzuki also serves as president.
The squad made its debut in the 2023–24 V.League Division 3 season and went on to finish sixth out of 11 teams in the reorganized V.League last year.
Suzuki had been with the club since its inception, serving both as team manager and head coach.
