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Sasebo slashing


The Sasebo slashing (Japanese: 佐世保小6女児同級生殺害事件, Hepburn: Sasebo shōroku joji dōkyūsei satsugai jiken) was the murder of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, Satomi Mitarai (御手洗 怜美, Mitarai Satomi), by an 11-year-old female classmate. Reactions to the incident have included Internet memes and a discussion of lowering the age of criminal responsibility in Japan.

The murder occurred on June 1, 2004, at an elementary school in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture. The murderer slit Mitarai's throat and arms with a utility knife.

The killer's real name has not been released to the press, as per Japanese legal procedures prohibiting the identification of juvenile offenders. Japanese police referred to her as "Girl A." The Nagasaki District Legal Affairs Bureau cautioned internet users against their revealing her photos.

On June 1, 2004, the 11-year-old schoolgirl murdered her 12-year-old classmate, Satomi Mitarai, in an empty classroom during the lunch hour at Okubo Elementary School in Sasebo. She then left Mitarai's body and returned to her own classroom, her clothes covered in blood. The girls' teacher, who had noticed that both were missing, found the body and called the police.

After being taken into custody, she was reported to have confessed to the crime, saying "I am sorry, I am sorry" to police. She spent the night at the police station, often crying, and refused to eat snacks she was offered. She initially mentioned no motive for the killing. Shortly afterward, she confessed to police that she and Mitarai had quarreled as a result of messages left on the Internet. She claimed that Mitarai slandered her by commenting on her weight and calling her a "goody-goody".


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