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Saitama: Justice ministry staffer fatally stabbed by husband

SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police arrested a 51-year-old man over the alleged fatal stabbing of his wife, a Ministry of Justice staff member, in Saitama City on Monday, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 16).

At around 6:00 p.m., a pedestrian alerted police about a “woman collapsed and not moving” on a road in the Takasago area of Urawa Ward.

Noriyo Asano, a 53-year-old staff member at the Saitama Juvenile Classification Home, was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said.

Officers arrested Tadashi Asano, an associate professor in criminal psychology at Bunkyo University, on suspicion of attempted murder.

According to police, Asano used a knife to repeatedly stab his wife in the chest. The suspect admits to the allegations.

Tadashi Asano (Twitter)

The suspect and his wife were living apart. The crime took place in a government district where various prefectural offices and courts are located.

In addition to investigating the circumstances that led to the incident, police are considering whether to change the charges against the suspect to murder.