IBARAKI (TR) – Ibaraki Prefectural Police have arrested a 49-year-old woman after she allegedly sewed her female roommate’s lips shut with a needle and thread, reports Nippon News Network (July 6).
According to the Koga Police Station, Masae Sakurai, a self-proclaimed part-time worker residing in Koga City, attacked her 42-year-old unemployed roommate at their shared residence at around 1:30 p.m. on June 29.
She is accused of physically stitching the victim’s upper and lower lips together, inflicting injuries that will require an undetermined amount of time to heal.
Police announced the arrest on Monday but have not disclosed whether the suspect has admitted to or denied allegations of assault.
The harrowing incident came to light the day after the crime. On June 30, the victim, entirely unable to speak due to her stitched mouth, managed to flee to a nearby shop. She presented store staff with a handwritten note that simply read, “Please help me.”
Store employees immediately contacted the authorities.
The suspect and the victim had been living together since April of last year. When questioned about the abuse, the victim reportedly told police, “I was too scared to run away.”
