HOKKAIDO (TR) – In October, a male university student died after was assaulted by a group in Ebetsu City.
A 20-year-old woman who has been charged with robbery resulting in death and other offenses responded to an interview with Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (Dec. 24).
“I did something bad to the victim, I should have stopped it,” said Haruna Kawamura.
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 Kawamura, Hase’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Ama Yagihara, and four juveniles.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble to my parents”
The incident began with relationship troubles between Hase and Yagihara.
Why did the violence continue for so long?
“I should have stopped it [when the violence started], but I couldn’t stop it because I was scared of what would happen if it happened to me,” said Kawamura.
According to investigators, security cameras captured five people, excluding Yagihara, using Hase’s cash card to withdraw cash from an ATM at a convenience store in Sapporo City after the crime. Based on statements, the amount withdrawn is in the tens of thousands of yen.
The PIN number is believed to have been obtained during the assault, and the suspects have stated that they “shared the cash.”
Police discovered clothes and belongings believed to belong to Hase in a river in Sapporo. Police are now working to confirm that they belong to Hase while also investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble to my parents,” Kawamura said.
