In October 2008, a 43-year old Japanese woman was arrested in Miyazaki, Japan, for killing her online husband, or avatar - a digital persona - after becoming angry at the fact that he had divorced her online in the context of the popular interactive game “Maple Story”.

She was jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data using her gaming partner´s ID and password to log on to the game and “murder” her partner.

She had obtained the log in information while their characters were happily married.

If convicted she could be jailed or fined up to £3,100 (US $5,000), notwithstanding the fact that she had not, allegedly, planned any revenge in the real world.