Arrested Student Cites Reformatory as Aim of Chiba Murder

From Jiji

May 14 2025

CHIBA – A 15-year-old male student arrested for the alleged murder of a woman in Chiba, near Tokyo, said that he wanted to go to juvenile reformatory to escape his complex home environment, according to investigative sources. 
   The Chiba prefectural police are investigating details of the fatal stabbing of local resident Yayoi Takahashi, 84, on Sunday. A forensic autopsy found that the victim died of traumatic shock after being stabbed in the back.
   This year, a parent of the junior high school third-year student consulted police about him running away from home for a short time, police and other sources said.
   Subsequently, meetings were held between the student and a consultant. A meeting session had been set also for Monday, when the student was arrested.
   The police said they did not recognize any signs from his behavior that such an assault would happen.