Suspect in Saitama Girl Killing Claims Abuse as Contributing Factor for Murder

From Jiji

April 30 2025

SAITAMA – A man arrested for allegedly killing a high school girl in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, has admitted to the crime, police sources said Wednesday. 
   The suspect, Hiroyuki Taniuchi, 25, was quoted as saying that his personality had been distorted by abuse and that he was at the bottom of society.
   It was also learned that blood stains on a knife found at the crime scene and on his pants were identified by DNA analysis as belonging to Taniuchi and the victim, Rena Tegara, 15.
   Taniuchi was initially silent after his arrest, but changed his attitude and said that he killed a high school girl who was wearing a uniform, according to the sources.
   He also said that he walked around the scene before the attack, looking for a target while pretending to be a passerby, the sources said.