Tragedy of stalked Japanese teenager forces police to act
Outrage over bungled handling of harassment is too late for schoolgirl killed by her ex-boyfriend
Fiercely criticised after failing to prevent a stalker from murdering his target, police and judicial authorities across Japan are suddenly making more visible efforts to deal with harassment that can turn violent.
Schoolgirl Saaya Suzuki, 18, was stabbed to death at her home in western Tokyo on October 8. Her attacker, Charles Ikenaga, was lying in wait in Suzuki's house and stabbed her five times with a knife he had bought after arriving from his home in Kyoto about 10 days earlier.
The budding actress had reported Ikenaga, her former boyfriend, to her local police station after their relationship broke down and he began to threaten her. She had already blocked his phone calls and e-mail messages.
Just before Suzuki was killed, a policeman phoned her to confirm that she had safely arrived home. Ikenaga, 21, told investigators he had been hiding in a closet in Suzuki's bedroom and heard the conversation.
The bungling of the case may have spurred authorities into action.
On Tuesday, police in Miyazaki, southern Japan, arrested a nursing assistant after he allegedly sent 180 e-mails to a former girlfriend, demanding that she kill herself.
Masashi Hidaka, 33, also reportedly posted messages on websites that caused his 25-year-old victim to believe that he was watching her movements.