Japan politician resigns after physical attack on staffer

June 22 (UPI) -- A junior Japanese lawmaker has resigned after a recording leaked to the press sounds like she was mercilessly hitting an employee while hurling angry insults about his male-pattern baldness.

Mayuko Toyota, 42, one of the few women in Japan's parliament, is stepping down as a representative of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after she was accused of physically and verbally assaulting one of her secretaries, The Japan Times reported Thursday.

Audio allegedly recorded inside a car on May 20 supports evidence she was hitting her secretary, an older man in his 50s, as he was chauffeuring her across town, according to Shukan Shincho, a weekly magazine.

The 55-year-old man, whose identity is being protected, sustained injuries to his face and back, the report states.

The victim said he had been subjected to relentless assaults and insults on the job. Toyota was elected in 2012. She holds a law degree from the prestigious University of Tokyo and earned a master's degree at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The Japanese government sponsored her graduate education.

In the recording, a woman could be heard saying, "Hey baldy, do you want to die? Your life is not worth living."

Toyota is also accused of threatening the man's daughter.

On Thursday, Toyota offered an apology and acknowledged her responsibility for the assault.

Tokyo's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said he would refrain from commenting but added, "it is natural for a member of parliament to be responsible for her own actions."

Toyota was elected from the No. 4 district in Saitama Prefecture in 2012 then re-elected in 2014.

Her party is facing challenges ahead of a July 2 election, according to local reports.