30-Year Term Sought for Teen in Hokkaido Group Assault Case

Sapporo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors have sought a 30-year prison sentence for a teenager in a high-profile group assault case in which a 20-year-old university student died in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, in 2024. During Monday’s hearing at Sapporo District Court in the northernmost prefecture, the defense argued that a sentence of up to 20 years would be appropriate for the teenager, who was a 17-year-old minor at the time. According to the indictment, the teenager conspired with five others to assault Tomoya Hase at a park in Ebetsu on Oct. 25-26, 2024. They allegedly took cash and a credit card from the victim and caused his death from traumatic shock. The teenager, along with one of the five, Yuto Kawaguchi, 19, who is believed to have led the assault, will be sentenced on Aug. 7. During the trial, the prosecution said that Hase’s death was strongly related to repeated abuse by the teenager and Kawaguchi, and condemned the teenager for committing severe violence to relieve his stress. Meanwhile, the defense claimed that the teenager played only a subordinate role in the group assault. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]