16-year-old girl hit with axe in Ibaraki; older brother on the run

Monday 19th January, 09:00 AM JST

IBARAKI —

Police are searching for a man in his 30s after a 16-year-old girl was hit with an axe in the barn of her home on Sunday morning. The suspect is believed to be the older brother of the injured girl.

Police received a call at around 10.30 a.m. Sunday from Suteo Kikuchi, 69, telling them his daughter had been attacked, and when they arrived at his home in the town of Daigo, found the 16-year-old girl lying down on the second floor of the barn.

Police said the first year high school student went to the barn to fetch her dad’s work gear when she was suddenly attacked by a man believed to be her brother, inflicting injuries to the back of her head that required several stitches.

The axe was left at the scene and police are searching for her older brother who is suspected of attempted homicide. Her unemployed brother, 35, lives separately but came home several times a year, police said.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 27 Total Comments Show All

CaptDingleheimer at 12:31 PM JST - 19th January

He's outside the nearest train station attempting to snip off a lock of hair from a random junior high schoolgirl's head. The police will be able to find him if they wait outside his apartment, where he will be sitting in the dark, naked, madly sniffing the lock of hair. He will then confess to both crimes, adding "I was stressed out about my career and wanted to relieve my stress." puts away crystal ball
Naruki_Oni at 12:41 PM JST - 19th January

@techall: the reason - which seems to have escaped the psychic Judge/Jury/Executioner squad here - is that the police are not certain it was the brother.

I hope it was, because if it's not, then everyone here (and probably in Japan) has basically convicted an innocent man without waiting for the trial.
bamboohat at 12:55 PM JST - 19th January

Getting cracked in the skull with an axe and managing to escape with several stitches (the article suspiciusly neglected to mention her condition) is lucky indeed. I think I can hear some deliverance style banjo's twanging in the background on this one...

I hope she recovers fully. Head injuries can be tricky.
isthistheend at 01:12 PM JST - 19th January

It had to be a friend of Ichihashi's who's look alike I saw on the train today in Tokyo. I looked long and hard anc concluded that he was too heavy set to be the man on the run. But his face and height sure bore resemblance.
isthistheend at 01:13 PM JST - 19th January

And by the way, let's not give this guy with the axe to grind a free pass. Could be coming back or more.
Wakarimasen at 01:27 PM JST - 19th January

Why no picture of the suspect? Would help us identify him if we came across him in our travels. Plenty of men in their 30's about.....
BBLeo at 01:38 PM JST - 19th January

This brother of hers must be watching a lot of Western Indian movies. Injury is serious enough to have consequences in the future. Why would this guy use 'axe?' This is all very strange. His does need to be examined by 'shrink with axe in his hands.' I wonder which one will walk out alive from the consulting room.
norinrad21 at 02:21 PM JST - 19th January

where would one even get an axe to do that kind of thing?
dennis0bauer at 03:06 PM JST - 19th January

Maybe he was jealous of daddy's little girl?
Yelnats at 03:30 PM JST - 19th January

20 years difference in age about...hmmm. Maybe the girl was his own child. Maybe he has another axe and left the one behind to confuse us on purpose.
nandakandamanda at 04:10 PM JST - 19th January

norinrad21. "where would one even get an axe to do that kind of thing?"

In a barn loft maybe? (See article)
sensei258 at 06:35 PM JST - 19th January

They were in the barn together, and she was attacked because she wouldn't consent. Onichan is going away for a long time, once he's caught. But, I suspect his body will be found next to a suicide note later.
ca1ic0cat at 10:15 PM JST - 19th January

shades of Lizzie Borden. Lucky this guy wasn't very motivated. Or not completely insane.
TheMusician at 05:39 AM JST - 20th January

The suspect is believed to be the older brother of the injured girl.

Soo... they don't know? OK. I can understand the scenario where she might not have seen her attacker, but I think the rest of her family, i.e. her dad, would notice that one of their relatives was missing.

Good luck with that.
Eizenhauer at 02:41 PM JST - 20th January

She was just dating a few more guys than family strict code would permit so older brother took a revenge on her to teach her a lesson... Just a possible scenario.