HOKKAIDO (TR) – The Sapporo District Court has sentenced a 21-year-old defendant to 30 years in prison for their role in the brutal group assault and fatal robbery of a university student in Ebetsu City two years ago.
According to the indictment, Haruna Kawamura, 21, conspired with five others to attack 20-year-old Tomoya Hase at a park in October 2024. The group subjected the victim to hundreds of blows, kicking and punching him relentlessly until his body was covered in severe bruises.
During the vicious assault, the attackers demanded the victim’s valuables, yelling, “Give it all. The full amount,” and “Hand over the credit cards and bank cards.” They subsequently stripped Hase of his clothing, cash cards, and credit cards.
In a chilling display of callousness, the group filmed the assault on a smartphone, capturing footage of them forcing the battered student to apologize.
Leaving the severely injured victim to die in the park, the suspects went to a nearby convenience store to buy cigarettes and bento boxes using his credit card. They later withdrew cash using his bank card and used the stolen funds to eat ramen.
Hase suffered catastrophic injuries, including traumatic subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhages, as well as fractures to his lumbar spine. He died from traumatic shock. All six suspects were indicted on charges including robbery resulting in death.
“Extremely malicious”
During the lay judge trial, Kawamura admitted to the charges without dispute, leaving the sentencing as the sole focal point.
Prosecutors demanded life in prison, arguing that the robbery and demands for money were voluntary actions that could not be excused as mere peer pressure, leaving no room for leniency. The defense pleaded for a 13-year term, claiming the violence was spontaneous and unplanned.
On the Thursday, presiding judge Masaki Takasugi handed down a 30-year sentence—the absolute maximum for a fixed-term imprisonment under the charges. While condemning the crime as “extremely malicious,” the judge concluded that a life sentence was not warranted, noting that Kawamura could not be proven to be the sole mastermind of the attack.
In related rulings handed down the same day, the Sapporo District Court sentenced two of Kawamura’s accomplices. An 18-year-old male high school student involved in the attack was handed a 20-year prison term, while a 16-year-old boy was given an indeterminate sentence of nine to 13 years.
