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Hyogo: Boy, 12, plunges to death from Kobe apartment in apparent suicide

HYOGO (TR) – Hyogo Prefectural Police on Monday revealed that a 12-year-old boy died after being found collapsed outside an apartment building in Kobe in an apparent suicide last week, reports Kyodo News (Apr. 22).

On April 19, the boy, a first-year middle school student, was found lying face down outside the six-floor apartment building in Nishi Ward. He was later confirmed dead, according to the Kobe-Nishi Police Station.

The boy lived with his parents and two siblings in a sixth-floor apartment of the building. Police believe the boy took his life by intentionally leaping from their residence.

Just before the incident, he was alone in the apartment. Police also said that there signs that the boy had walked on the roof of a balcony on the fifth floor.

At the time of the discovery of the boy’s body, he was attired in plain clothes but was not wearing shoes. A will has not been found, police said.

“There was no change [in his demeanor],” one relative was quoted.