18-yr-old suspect admits killing Kawasaki boy to punish him

This the worst example of how a family and society can fail so bad. A boy that goes from great student full of friends on a small island to being bullied and beaten to death is just too cruel! RIP. Pls prosecute these criminals as criminals and not babies.

I know it doesn't make any difference now, but I would like a little more information about the boy's family. Why did they move to Kawasaki in the first place. The father is never mentioned, are the parents divorced? His mother didn't seem to concerned that her son was out very late, even though he was a first year junior high student. The gov't plans to look carefully at the school and it's teachers(typical Japanese thinking), but before you blame anyone else, talk to the mother!

Mark - it's been reported that the parents divorced which is why they moved to the mother's parent's home in Kawasaki. The mother works nights to support her family.

It's sad kids today feel the app Line is the only safe way to communicate what's really going on. Maybe if interpersonal relationships with real people were stronger, this could have been prevented.

MarkX - his mom was working night shift as a nurse - she was divorced.

harvey:

Its been mentioned here. Father divorced and gone, mother working night shifts. The also understand now that the kid did not want to bother his mom with his problems because she had too much on her hands already.

Really nobody to blame here except the murderer,

Typical group criminal behavior: get caught and rat each other out. Hopefully they get charged as adults.

Rest in peace, Ryoto Uemura.

If on the municipal level that Japanese cities can change the age of consent to 18 from the national law of 14, then they should also have the authority to change the age of trying accused murderers as adults as well which is 20 in Japan.

Poor Ryota, why do they have to kill him? Scary !!! 18 years old murderer!!!

Several earlier stories have reported that FIVE people (the victim, the three suspects, and "another boy") were seen walking toward place the boy was murdered. From yesterday's report, for example:

The three suspects were identified through street surveillance camera footage that showed them and another boy walking with Uemura toward the spot where he was murdered.

Has there been any clarification on who the "another boy" is, and why he hasn't been arrested as well?

no, i refuse to let the mom off the hook so easily. she MUST have seen the bruises and black eye on him.

I agree. I know nurses are overworked in Japan, but the teacher repeatedly try to contact her and she didn't seem to care.

therougou:

" I agree. I know nurses are overworked in Japan, but the teacher repeatedly try to contact her and she didn't seem to care. "

I would like you to put yourself in the shoes of someone who works night shifts in order to provide for five children plus aging grand parents.

You safely assume that the mom asked about the black eye and the kid told her a white lie that it was nothing serious. Of course, 20/20 hindsight from the comfort of your desks is a wonderful thing, isn´t it.

MarkXMar. 02, 2015 - 07:43AM JST I know it doesn't make any difference now, but I would like a little more information about the boy's family. Why did they move to Kawasaki in the first place.

I'm not sure what island he was from, but there are many inhabited islands in Shikoku and along the northeastern coast with populations of a few hundred, mostly elderly individuals. Children have to commute to school by ferry and there aren't high schools within reasonable distance.

Any word on a motive?

reminds me of the Murder of James Bulger in the UK, when two 10 year olds murdered a 2 year old. now they are free and under different names,secretly living in Australia.

Jalapeno:

The perp is not talking yet. The cops are grilling him; give a few days and the excuses will start popping up. Not that it matters... do you believe anything he`ll say?

“Why did this have to happen? I’m so sorry. It seems I am to blame.”

It seems?

According to some news on TV, the 18-year-old has finally started to talk, giving his very perverted and selfish reason for killing the boy. What was his father's statement when his son got arrested? His statement claimed that his son had nothing to do with the crime. How could he have said that, knowing his son's often violent past behavior prior to the arrest?

More details start coming out from the cops. Apparently the perps told the kid to swim naked in the river as some sort of punishment, and then they jumped him. Its nauseating to listen to this.

I hope that low-life father gets also questioned about his obvious lies to the cops.

Re: "claims he was at home" yet the information being told the public is the 18 yr old was also seen on the CCTV recording. Now unless he is "the flash" which is doubtful, the police are pretty convinced it is him. If the 18yr old and 17 yr old boys parent's were not aware of their son's ongoing's especially being involved in a gang, regardless the responsibility still lies with the parents and goes along with being a parent no matter where one lives in the world. Responsibility is what it is, being responsible for what is yours in this case the boys. The 18yr old boys father is too busy trying to save his own neck from assuming responsibility for any of this. First of all why weren't the older boys taught by the parents not to be involved with 13yr olds? This has nothing to do with teaching the younger kids about school sponsored activities? Right? Now many are trying to put some of the blame on the single mom, but one must understand that she did try to seek support from the school but the system failed her. Even if she tried to her son to a different school it is difficult in Japan because the son is tied to her registration, a very outdated system and a problem for many today not to mention the mountain of paperwork. Let's say even if she moved, the school where the boy was to attend would have to accept him and she would have to find a job closer to wherever they moved too. Has anyone out there tried raising a teen with only one parent working to pay the bills? It's tough enough for a single person in Japan, yet there are no social programs to help single parents. But I could be wrong about this so my apologies if I am, otherwise another hurdle we have to tackle in Japan. I move that we start looking into how to ease the burden on parents when a situation arises where a child has to move to a different school so that the transition is not a burden like today. Perhaps a JT article?

My heart aches for Ryota kun. He, somehow, got caught up with the wrong crowd :(

I blame the adults around him for this. The school knew something was wrong and the teacher did call and visit his house numerous times but nothing came out of it because the teacher couldn't get a hold of anyone. Why didn't the teacher pursue it more? If the teacher knew the mother worked at night at the hospital, why didn't the teacher call her at work?

The local news said the police actually went to the 18-year old's house after Ryota kun got beat up. (And this was the reason why the 18-year old killed him - for snitching.) Police knew and did what? Verbally warn him to stay away? Not good enough.

Ryota kun reached out saying he was afraid for his life. But no one acted fast enough.

Hi, WilliB,

No, the murderer is of course to blame for the murder, but I don't care that the parents are divorced. The dead beat dad should absolutely be more involved in the kid's life. If the dad had attempted to stay in touch with the boy, the boy might not have gotten involved with these older kids. The dad absolutely deserves some blame cause there is a lot of blame to go around.

Yes, the mom works night shifts because she has to financially support everyone she feels responsible for, I get it, but kids need emotional and life support more than financial support. I've known personally and have seen plenty of stories of single hard working mothers who were still involved in their kid's life every step of the way. You can't just leave the kid to the wolves to fend for himself no matter how much you have going on. I refuse to believe the mother was helpless in the situation when I no mothers who've had it worse and did more.

And the teacher tried, but where's the principal? I've worked at enough schools from elem to high school to know these principals have a lot more time on their hands than they let on. He should've been more active.

So many people here who's main concern are supposed to the children and yet no one did what they were supposed to do.

I cannot understand why some people are trying to come up with some stuff to excuse the mother from any responsibility. I dont care if she had to work the whole night, or that she is divorced, or whatever, her responsibility was to that kid period. As a parent (especially as a mother who has carried that baby inside her womb) I would expect more from her to protect her son and ensure that kid is safe every single day, not only while I am out at work but at school and everywhere he would go. He was only 13 not 18. So I am sorry but the mother has something to be blamed because at least things could have been avoided. I dont care how busy or heartbroken she was because children are first and there should always be time for one´s children. If this would be a sudden incident then it will be different but sadly that kid was being bullied already for some time and he knew he would be killed anytime, so it makes me mad the mother never fought for him and only his school teacher was concerned. So people please don’t say crap like oh it was because she has to work long hours, or she was divorce or whatever because that actually makes it stupid. Many people work like that, and even in worst situations and yet still find ways to leave their children in safe places and under someone’s company, so cut the pity crap, it is a tragic event and there is not only one person to blame.

School should have tried harder to contact the mom, NOT the boy and sent letterS from the school in the mail to the mom. Probably a better result and mom would have been aware of his being absent and much easier than going to the house a hundred times.

I would like you to put yourself in the shoes of someone who works night shifts in order to provide for five children plus aging grand parents.

I understand what you are saying and I hope you will understand what I am going to say. The mother had a responsibilty to make sure her son was safe and in school. He was not in school for a month. I find it hard to understand how a parent would not know that their 13 year old kid had not been in school for a month.

You safely assume that the mom asked about the black eye and the kid told her a white lie that it was nothing serious. Of course, 20/20 hindsight from the comfort of your desks is a wonderful thing, isn´t it.

I would like to assume that a parent that sees bruises and black eyes on their child will call the school and find out what might be going on. I would like to assume that a parent would do this.

Without a doubt the three thugs are the murderers, but there was so much more that could have been done by the people around this boy that would have saved his life. It is a shame that it was not done and I think it is healthier for a society to asks these questions rather than continue to sweep them under the rug.

It seems like everyone is basing their opinions on the family by assumptions. Not one place did I read-

The Father did nothing to stay in contact with the child

The mother took sole custody of the kids and fled the husband

The mother never stayed in touch with her kids feelings

The mother didn't care about his black eye

Also I have never heard about a person killing one person and getting the death penalty. I have heard life imprisonment but that too was quite rare for killing one person. If this case is garnering the attention of many people, hopefully he gets a stiffer penalty than usual. If he gets off light, it would be great to see people protest the juvenile law but how many protests with a mass amount of people do we ever see here.

The world has many bad people who prey on the little ones; disaster when we let our guard down. We need to work together to protect children from these predators. I don't see one single failure here as the reason that this tragedy happened. I do not have a good answer of how to deal with teenage murderers. My emotionally charged response is probably not the best answer for society.

I have never heard about a person killing one person and getting the death penalty.

Kaoru Kobayashi

Kaoru Kobayashi

Good. Should be standard for kid killers.

18-year-old suspect admits killing Kawasaki boy to punish him

Well the suspect can't really find out whether the boy has learned his lesson, can he? He's dead

This the worst example of how a family and society can fail so bad.

Yes. Family and society are to blame. The boy slipped through the cracks, and the cracks are pretty wide here.

I don't know if it's a fair comparison, but in terms of social shock value this whole sorry story can be compared to the murder of 11-year-old gang member 'Yummy' Sandifer in Chicago in 1994.

According to Wiki, "(Sandifer) became a symbol of the gang problem in American inner cities, the failure of social safety nets, and the shortcomings of the juvenile justice system." I see the same thing happening here.

Japan needs all the children it can get. It can't afford to let them slip away like that.

So few of the right kinds of friends, but so many people now leaving flowers and things that are now pointless to Ryota. As much as the gang and the leader are gutless, the many people who must have known something was wrong are spineless.

Why there are people "blaming" the mother of the boy here? Are you some what impaired? By the comments some people post here, it is clear they don't have kids... if you do, you should know that it is not possible to monitor your kid. The mother was working night shifts to support a family of 7 (5 kinds and her parents), the boy was probably very concerned about her mother, so he wouldn't dare to put any more preoccupations to her... naturally he probably lied about not going to school, the beating, etc. About contacting the mother... let see... she works all night (and I think she even worked on mornings in another job probably)... after her shift ends, she has to take care of her kids, making meals, going to buy groceries, taking the kids to the doctor, etc., etc.... by the afternoon she probably was so tired that slept deeply.... Those who blame the mother, do you even do your laundry and cook? if you do... multiply by 7 and add some other jobs like sewing and dusting... REALLY shame on you, to blame her.... Think how devastated must she be..... why do you think she has not even be able to write a comment?.... really... hope you don't treat your mothers like that....

Who is to blame here? the system maybe so, but the system may not be entirely since there are not so many crimes like this despite of the population density. The father of the boy?, he was not there... ok... but if he is still living in the small island it may mean he doesn't have so much money (and time) to make the trip to Kawasaki. Note that the boy went on summer vacations to the island, where the father is... The school... overwhelmed teachers and a lot of paperwork... yes may be.

But the real blame is on the murderers (not just one, if the other kids where watching they are accessory to murder) and also the parents of the kids... specially the parents of the 18yo kid the main suspect. Even then, in some idiotic and sick way, the parents of the main suspect are doing what parents suppose to do, defending their kids the best way they can (may be the wrongest way but still).

I'm glad this little scum has finally confessed. His alibi of being at home was shot to pieces by video cameras.

I'm a bit confused by the continued use of the word 'gang'. Was it a gang or just a group of youths? Did they have gang emblems, a credo, jackets or tattoos? A group of wayward youths hanging around together does not constitute a gang. But, then again, this is Japan and anybody that is not part of Japan Inc. is a gang member, right?

They were more likely a group of youths, than what we would consider to be a gang in the west. But that said, a gang isn't really anything more than a group of youths who are involved in crime.

Mom and Dad are of COURSE not to blame for the murder, although I think it's contemptible that the mother or school did nothing about the beating of the boy despite the mother at least clearly knowing about it. Had something been done then, the murder may not have happened.

As for the 18 year old and his two cronies, lock them up -- for life! If this gets treated as a case for minors I'll be sick, and I guarantee we'll be reading about this again a few days after it's mentioned they'll be tried in family courts. The government needs to stand up, once and for all, and start demanding these people be charged as adults. Clearly the 18 year old boy was attempting to force Uemura to do things he did not want to, and kudos to the young boy for not doing them (shoplifting, swimming naked, etc.), and he clearly took the boy out there to kill him. The 17-year-olds, threatened or not, watched it happen and did nothing, and then helped try and hide the crime. Abe said he was shocked by this crime, so let him weigh in and say that he thinks this kind of thing has gone on long enough and these kids need to be tried as adults, and he'll get my respect for sure.

And for those blaming LINE, please stop! If anything thank LINE and the stupidity of these boys, because they have any exchanges, including one of the 17-year-olds all but admitting what happened, on file now and can use them in the case against the boys.

I'm serious -- give the 18-year-old 25 years for murder, and the 17-year-olds at least ten each as accomplices. The boy will never be brought back, for sure, but giving these murderers a brief stay at a reformatory and then letting them walk free among us all so that they can do it again is not any kind of justice in any world. And please, as with the teenage murderer the other week, feel free to print the murderers' names, media!

Vicious buggers... what do they think they are? Yakuza wannabes?

Disillusioned:

" 'm a bit confused by the continued use of the word 'gang'. Was it a gang or just a group of youths? Did they have gang emblems, a credo, jackets or tattoos? "

No, nothing like the "gangs" you imagine from US news. Just a bunch of bleached-hair punks hanging out around video arcades and in front of combinis. If you enter some key words like Ryote Uemura and hannin in Japanese, you can seen find pictures of these goons, plus their purikuraed girlfriends. They love to take grinning selfies with stupid gang signs, too.

Dime a dozen of these low-lifes in Japan, and I really would not care of two two of these chimpiras beat each other to death. But an 18-year old and 13-year old are a heck of a difference. 13 is just out of elementary school for Chrissake. The murdered kid looked so much like my own son at that age, it eerie. I actually went to Kawasaki and added some flowers to the pile today. Call me a sentimental fool.

I really do hope they throw the book at his father too. Lying to protect his murderous offspring is beyond the pale.

I actually went to Kawasaki and added some flowers to the pile today. Call me a sentimental fool.

I wish I could've joined you.

RE: mother who has carried that baby inside her womb) I would expect more from her to protect her son and ensure that kid is safe every single day, not only while I am out at work but at school and everywhere he would go. He was only 13 not 18. So I am sorry but the mother has something to be blamed because at least things could have been avoided.

Can JT provide us more information on what the mom did to protect her son, as most responses are blaming the single mom.

For those of you who blame the single mom, blame the irresponsible parent's of the gang leader and the other two. Why weren't their parents closely assessing a problem, what about the teachers why weren't they reporting a gang problem to the higher authorities, and if so why were the school officials ignoring the teachers. The school system is too blame when a parent cant' move a child to a different school because its tied to the family registry and the schools themselves have different requirements making it hard for kids to go to any school like most can around the world. That needs to change.

cracaphat:

" Wanting to punish him? How 'bout an eye for an eye for this f'd up individual? "

Plenty of people would like that, but it is not going to happen. Because of his age, he`ll get a few years "youth rehabilitation" or similar nonsense, and be out in a few years to murder somone else. Sickening, I know.

In the event, the murderer is a 155 cm pipsqueak (unless you count his permed hair). So instead of picking on someone his age, he assembled a "gang" all junior to him an then killed a 13-year old. Some hero.

this has a similarity to another brutal intra-gang beating that happened in China last year, where the victim barely escaped with his life. Google "Chinese Gang Rock". While reading this story it reminded me of it and gave some graphic context to the sickening event. At least these scumbag kids in this latest incident didn't film it like in the previous case. Nonetheless, sick, depraved and a complete lack of humanity. I just don't get it. I genuinely doubt these little priks are first time offenders. The prime offender/murderer needs to be removed from society forever.

@bjohnson23

Has anyone out there tried raising a teen with only one parent working to pay the bills?

Yes. And you are right, it is definitely NOT easy...

I remember some documentary from the late 90s talking about the increase in youth violence in Japan, sad to see this is becoming the norm, I hope the Japanese gov sees the need to reform the youth justice system which was written in a time of low crime and less severe crimes when committed.

@harvey pekar

The dead beat dad should absolutely be more involved in the kid's life

Yes ! (Talking from experience...) that would have been "nice"...

Look at all these posts expressing progressive Western thinking.

Too bad the Japanese won't do anything but sigh "Shouganai" or "Ungawarui" you've heard them all before.

Sorry for the kid ... Hope this punk gets a looong time behind the bars!

Parents need to be held more responsible for their minor children. Not having time or money is a good reason but poor excuse for not raining kids well. Additionally, as long as people remain islands in our communities there is no first line of protection. Nevertheless, I don't see the government doing much. There are too many other 'more important' problems: Olympics, TPP, protecting uninhibited islands, etc. It's up to us.

Disillusioned,

This was a gang. They may not have tattoos like gangs from Hollywood but it clearly was enough of a gang to have strict hierarchy and discipline that extended to death for acts of disobedience. I suppose the question you have to ask yourself is: Is that the kind of behavior you would expect from non-gang members?

Japan is awash with gangs - from these low level gangs to "ledissu" and bosozuku, which act as feeders to serious organised crime which openly run massive sections of the expansive Japanese illicit entertainment industry. They never got around to dealing with Al Capone here - they had a cup of tea with him instead.

gang culture, work culture, group culture.............only difference is the extremes, all three groups & all the various sub-groups show similarities..............& some of those in all these groups are in DIRE need of fixing, how about it Japan!

EmanuelKant:

" This was a gang. They may not have tattoos like gangs from Hollywood but it clearly was enough of a gang to have strict hierarchy and discipline that extended to death for acts of disobedience. "

What is in a word? There was nothing organized about this group of juveniles, and the first murder committed by their leader means the end of this "gang" in its current form. (Not that the others`s won´t continue to hang out at kombinis and game centers...)

To compare this group of kids under the control of one 18-year old thug with South American prison gangs and the like is really over the top.

So many peeps here are trying to blame the mother. Damn, that is cold. Blame the 18 year old. He did it. Along with the 17 year olds. Simple.

Now I wonder what kind of punishment will the law dole out to the 18-year-old and his accomplices for murder? One of my fears is that the Japanese system would be too lenient on these murderers.

genjuroMar. 03, 2015 - 04:53AM JST Now I wonder what kind of punishment will the law dole out to the 18-year-old and his accomplices for murder?

Current law in Japan sets the minimum age for capital punishment at 18. Death sentences for minors (those under age 20) are rare, those who commit capital crimes at age 18 or 19 may be legally sentenced to death. In this case, single murderers rarely face a death penalty in Japan, but expect that the recent trend toward harsher punishments, backed by the growing public support for capital punishment, would encourage the court to sentence to a long prison sentence.

I expect the two 17 year olds to face no more than 2 years in prison because they did not kill him. Yet, only set him up by orders of the gang leader. One of them were threatened to be killed if he got involved. Not to mention they were cooperating with the police.

Try him a an adult. If found guilty, hang 'em high.

The story just changed again. After the two younger goons ratted on the older one saying "he did it", now the older one is ratting back. He now says the two younter ones were cutting the kid too.

So, now, it turns out they were all involved in the butchery.

Truly great human specimen...

GW, great post.

WilliB, I'm afraid that I am not seduced by the imagery that infers that gang members are necessarily tattoo'd vest wearing thugs that inhabit prisons or peddle drugs on street corners. I think that an understanding of organised crime requires a stronger analysis of supply chains and access - a model for success in this field would be the Japanese Yakuza and how they have been able to strike a pact with the Japanese ruling class to co-exist within a framework that allows them to operate in nominated industries with impunity. It may come as a surprise to you that while many gang members wear tattoos, many others wear suits, and others school uniforms.

As I mentioned before, there are many levels of gangs in Japan. Evidently, membership of even the lowest level of unaffiliated gang in Japan can spell death for a member.

EmmanuelKant:

This has nothing to do with the Yakuza (although that might have have been a future carreer move for some of the perps), and there is nothing "organized" about that group. Come one, they have a huge footprint with all their photos, which you can find if you google for them in Japanese. We really should stop shouting "Yakuza" every time a crime happens, this Western obsession is a bit silly.

The shame is that an 18 year old is considered a minor. Over here he's considered an adult, and the 17 yr olds would likely be tried as adults.

WilliB

Your reading comprehension is atrocious. I referenced the yakuza in response to your acertion that all gangs resembled south american prison gangs - tattoos and all. Clearly your acertion was factually incorrect.

I've always stated this is a low level gang with no affiliations. I believe that you will find that position is shared by both the mainstream media and twitter if you search in Japanese.

EmmanuelKant:

Talking about reading comprehension"; you must have missed that I was responding to the comment by "Disillusioned": To refresh your memory, he said: "Did they have gang emblems, a credo, jackets or tattoos? A group of wayward youths hanging around together does not constitute a gang."

I simply confirmed that indeed they have no gang emblems, a credo, jackets or tattoos, and that indeed they were simply a group of wayward youths hanging around together.

And about the Japanese media: They are referring to them as a "Shonan group", i.e. a group of wayward youth.

You might want to read more carefully.

"acertion"

:)

WilliB,

You have rather a lot of free time.

Bits and peaces of additional information keep appearing in the Japanese press, and the pictures just gets bleaker and bleaker. Among all of the different murder cases that come up in the news, this one in particular touches me, probably because my sons where of that age not so long ago. I just cant help imagining what the 13 year old felt as he was led to his execution. Because once the 18.year old had confiscated his phone and sent one of the goons to guard the rear, it must have been clear to him what was to come. Just horrific.