Saitama: Court sends boy to reform school over murder of classmate

SAITAMA (TR) – A court here has sent a second-year middle school boy to reform school over the fatal stabbing of his male classmate in Tokorozawa City earlier this year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Aug. 21).

On Wednesday, presiding judge Hideyuki Suzuki at the Saitama Family Court determined that the youth, 14, will be placed in a reform school for his third and fourth years of middle school.

On July 5, the youth used a knife to repeatedly stab Kotaro Hongo, 13, in the upper body, including to the abdomen, at the residence of the suspect. The victim was later confirmed dead as a result of loss of blood.

Prior to the incident, the youth and Hongo were among three boys studying for a test at the residence. Police later found bloodstains at the entrance and inside on the first floor.

“Fight over a textbook”

“We got into a fight over a textbook,” the youth was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations. “In the past, we had a problem when the textbook went missing. When I asked [him] about it, [he] denied [hiding it].”

Judge Suzuki pointed out that the youth later framed the crime as a suicide. “It was extremely malicious,” the judge said in handing down the ruling.

An examination of the body of Hongo showed wounds to the arms, indicating that he attempted to fight off the attack. There were also gashes to his head and face, police said previously.

Police later revealed that the knife used in the crime had been washed clean, an attempt by the youth to destroy evidence.