TOKYO (TR) – A male inmate at a penitentiary in Fuchu City has committed suicide, it was learned on Saturday, reports NHK (May 6).
According to Fuchu Prison, the inmate, aged in his 30s, was found hanged inside a cell on Thursday at just before 6:00 p.m. The inmate was then rushed to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead shortly thereafter.
A guard routinely checked the inmate every 20 minutes, the prison said. About 15 minutes before the discovery of his body, he had been seen behaving normally, lying face-up in the cell.
In taking his life, the inmate used pants to hang himself by the neck from a window in the cell.
Harunosuke Takasugi, an examiner in the general affairs department of the prison, expressed regret regarding the incident. “We will strive to prevent a recurrence,” the examiner said.