HOKKAIDO (TR) – Following the fatal beating of a male university student in Ebetsu City last year, police have revealed that the six male and female suspects likely carried out the assault as a group over the course of about four hours, reports Fuji News Network (Oct. 3).
The victim is 20-year-old university student Tomoya Hase, who was found naked and collapsed in a park in Bunkyodaiminamicho Park on the morning of October 26. He was later confirmed dead at a hospital.
Six persons have been indicted on suspicion of inflicting injury resulting in death, including Hase’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Ama Yagihara, Haruna Kawamura, who is also 20, and four juveniles.
Hase met up with the six suspects at the park at around 11:00 p.m. on October 25. It is believed that the five suspects other than Yagihara fled in a car just after 3 a.m. the following day.
It has been revealed that Hase was violently assaulted over the course of those four hours.
Yagihara has said, “There was some trouble regarding my relationship with Hase.”
“I wanted Hase to apologize to Yagihara”
According to HTB News (Oct. 31), that “trouble” was his telling her that he wanted to end their relationship.
A little after 11 p.m. on October 25, Hase and Yagihara, who had already met up, headed to the park where the incident occurred.
According to investigators, Kawamura later received a call from Yagihara, who said, “Hase and I are having an argument over breaking up.”
Kawamura then went to the park in a light passenger vehicle along with the other suspects. They then assaulted Hase.
Kawamura stated the following to the police during questioning, “I wanted Hase to apologize to Yagihara.”
Police are continuing the investigation, including analyzing the suspects’ smartphones.
