Stabbing Attack on Junior High School Students: Why Was A Girl Deprived of Her Life and Future?

Editorial

14:36 JST, December 20, 2024

What on earth was the purpose of a male suspect attacking two junior high school students? The background and motive behind this shocking crime, which has shaken the local community, must be urgently clarified.

After a boy and a girl from a municipal-run junior high school, both 15 years old, were stabbed with a knife at a fast food restaurant in Kokura-Minami Ward, Kitakyushu — resulting in the girl’s death — the Fukuoka prefectural police arrested a 43-year-old unemployed man living nearby on suspicion of attempted murder regarding the boy on Dec. 19.

The two students visited the restaurant to study on the evening of Dec. 14. The students were standing in a line of customers at the cash register when suddenly they were stabbed with a knife by a man who had just entered the restaurant. While the girl died, the boy suffered a deep wound for which he is still hospitalized.

The man has admitted that he did commit the act, according to the police. The police also intend to investigate the case on suspicion of murder regarding the girl.

It is believed that the man did not know the two students personally. No problems that could have led to the incident have been confirmed between the man and the two students, the police said.

The crime is inexcusable and despicable. The man lived near the site of the murder and visited the restaurant by car. Why did he go there with a knife? It is hoped that the police will strictly pursue the man’s criminal responsibility and clarify the entire picture of the case.

The decisive factor in the suspect’s arrest was reportedly a “relay investigation” that followed his trail based on footage from security cameras and dashboard cameras of passing vehicles. Such a method has led to solving various criminal cases in recent years.

The student who died was on her way home from a cram school. She is said to have been an energetic and serious girl who was good at her studies. The grief felt by the bereaved family who suddenly lost their precious daughter is unimaginable. It is only hoped that the boy will recover as soon as possible.

After the murder, a total of 10,000 students at municipal-run elementary, junior high and high schools in Kitakyushu were reportedly absent from school, with some saying they were too scared to go out. The depth of the shock this crime has caused parents, guardians and children in the local community is immeasurable.

The municipal board of education needs to work to provide psychological care for the children through such means as dispatching counselors to schools.

Entrance exam season will soon be in full swing. Many children may be attending cram schools and studying until late at night. Surely there are parents and guardians who are worried that their children might be involved in an incident or accident on their way to or from cram schools.

The motive of the arrested man is unclear at the moment. Is there any way to prevent such crimes? To think about it, it is essential to clarify the entire picture of the case. Communities and households should try to take whatever measures they can now, such as inspecting routes used by children attending cram schools.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 20, 2024)