14-year-old boy arrested for attempted murder of newspaper delivery woman

I felt frustrated. I stabbed her because I wanted to kill someone."

The deed can not, nor should be ignored, and it should be properly punished but Im willing to bet there is a hell of a lot more to this boy's story than what is written here, and sadly we will never find out!

The police use certain phrases in all these cases to protect sources and not throw valuable information away. It isn't that every suspect uses exactly the same words, although I'm sure there is some of that also.

Let's wait and see if the family pays the victim off so their boy doesn't have to go to jail. But knowing that my kid was capable of doing that, I'd be afraid to sleep in the same house with him anymore.

He probably has a mental illness. Does he has access to medical care before being interrogate ?

He probably has a mental illness.

14 is a little early in age to show signs of any serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, but of course there are mental problems caused by abuse or stress. I've never seen so many 18 year olds with gray hair until I came here.

I don't think the family can pay the victim enough for this kind of crime. Mentally ill? Probably, or trying to pretend.

Let's wait and see if the family pays the victim off so their boy doesn't have to go to jail.

it's out of the family's hands. Even if the "child" goes to jail, the longest he would serve is until he becomes of age, normally meaning 20. He wont go to an adult jail either, but one for underage offenders.

14 year old having the urge to kill someone? Where would he get these feelings? Being bullied?

And what's a 14-year old doing wandering the streets at 3:30AM looking to kill someone? Something is definitely amiss at that boy's home.

"I felt frustrated. I stabbed her because I wanted to kill someone."

I'm bewildered by how common this scenario is in Japan and it always happens in summer. Every summer there are upwards of half a dozen of these kinds of attacks. And the victim is always someone who won't fight back. I wouldn't say it is unique to Japan, but it is definitely more common than other countries. What is it that creates these psychotic cowards? Is it, parents, school, video games and manga or society in general?

stabbing random strangers because you feel frustrated is a pretty good sign of mental illness.....

At 14 years of age at 3:30 am that boy should be at home in bed hugging his Teddy Bear, Not out in the street looking to stab someone. Must come from a family setting where the parents just don't care about their children. Lack of Parental Guidance & Nurturing played a part in this incident. Hope she physically recovers but mentally I think she may have future issues. As for the young boy hope this does not ruin his life.

As I have been saying for years, society has been breaking down.

Japan is not immune.

Things like this don't just happen. There's a reason he stabbed her.

@expat - Not to be an apologist, but the kid must have experienced some serious trauma himself.

Or he’s just another spoiled brat from the generation of entitlement trying to get his 15 minutes of fame.

"I felt frustrated. I stabbed her because I wanted to kill someone."

How about checking the mirror first, buddy?

Involuntary psychiatric commitment with no time limit is possible in Japan. He'll no doubt spend a decade or two under treatment. The same is the fate of the woman reported on yesterday who prosecutors declined to indict for dropping her child from a balcony.

This is a logical, humane way of dealing with crimes caused by the psychiatric impaired.

That poor lady, how can one goes outside after that ...

PLEASE charge him as an adult. He knew what he was doing, and he knew it was wrong. It was premeditated as well -- not the victim, but the plan to kill. Lock him up for the maximum charge of attempted murder. I don't care that he's 14, and neither should anyone else. Letting this kid go to a reformatory, or worse, just letting him off after compensation money is paid, would guarantee we see him succeed in murdering someone pretty much as soon as he's able. He's a sociopath in the works.

PLEASE charge him as an adult.

Why? He is a kid.

He knew what he was doing, and he knew it was wrong.

That's not how they determine whether or not to charge someone as an adult.

The frustration phrase as usual. The police coerce people to use specific phrases and sign off on them.

He is obviously a disturbed boy but police interrogations really need to be recorded and scrutinized - how is it that every maniac on a killing spree gives the exact same reason for their crimes unless they are being coached to say it by police?