14-year-old boy arrested for slashing girl says he wanted to kill someone

He'll spend a bit of time in a reformatory, then be released with the public's approval to go and do it again. Some day maybe said public will pressure the authorities to ACTUALLY commit to the lip-service legislation they made a few years back saying minors could be treated as adults. Until then, kids like this will do this kind of thing knowing the punishment is next to nil, while their victims, and I pray for the girl's speedy recovery, will suffer probably for the rest of her life.

Let's get the article right PLEASE, it was a box-cutter! By saying "knife" you give the wrong impression and leave people questioning how in the world did this kid procure a "knife" and how the cops found numerous other "knives" in his home!

A kid his age CAN purchase a box-cutter type "knife". It is one of those sliding types that allows the user to break off portions to allow the user to get a fresh edge.

Having one like that is NOT unusual for a kid his age, as many use them for their math classes and art classes as well! THey are as common as carrying a pair of scissors in one's pencil case for kids!

IF you walk up to someone with a knife and slash someones throat, you have intent, combined with the act of doing so, also he was quote to say "I wanted to kill someone, anyone," intent and motive, to me its plain and simple he should be charged with attempted murder, lucky for this poor girl he didn't kill her other wise he would/should be charged with murder. I hope this girl makes a full recovery, she will be permanently physically and mentally scared for the rest of her life thanks to this piece of ( expletive )

Somehow, I suspect more adults were concerned about brandishing the trademark Japanese blue tarp of utter privacy for this little criminal than there ever were concerned about his mental health prior to him slashing that innocent girl's throat.

"I wanted to kill someone, anyone," 

Now what would have caused such an attitude? I want to know what else he said.

This is shocking news, but something underlying in this teen that hasn't been told. His teachers, friends, relatives and even the neighborhood have all spoken positive about this teen but reminds me of another teen by the name of Jeffery Dahmer.

Investigators found the boy at a cram school

Cracked under pressure? Too much school stress?

This case scarily reminds me of serial killer Yukio Yamaji's case. Murdered own mother in 2000 as a minor, PAROLED in 2003, and murdered again in 2005 for the SAKE of killing. Hope this is not the case.

In the case of murder would they be likely to receive the death sentence. 

No, no, no, and no! Remember again! This is Japan, a single murder will not get the death sentence here and there is no way they are going to put a 14 year old in the noose here either!

If the boy is indeed a psychopath he would have shown other signs, hurting animals etc.

Otherwise he be experiencing pychosis in which he needs to be hospitalized for criminally dangerous minors.

Its speculative at this point. Really no point in ranting about him, I hate when people rant about young offenders the whole moral outrage of "double deviance".

The thing is is most young offenders of violent crimes, have been victims of horrific crime themselves. The trauma presents in one personality disorders including dissassociative and violent symptoms. Not saying this kid fits that description though.

Im just glad the girl is ok.

Zichi I had no idea the justice system in Japan put kids on death row. That has got to be one of the harshest systems in the world then.

The case you talk about sounds very extreme. Obviously a dangerous psychopath or sociopath with likely a very unstable childhood.

zichi: "A child can not be executed nor would it be right to keep them in detention/prison until the last day of their life."

Bud, the laws of Japan consider a person a "child" until midnight on the day of their 18th birthday, and in terms of being able to drink and what not, they are still considered "children" until 20. You are fully capable of knowing what murder is, and how it is wrong, FAR before the age of 14, and yes, a person should most certainly be charged in adult court for heinous and adult crimes such as this, and should spend the adequate amount of time behind bars. If we go with your route, they can get a verdict the day before their 18th birthday and not legally be allowed to spend but a couple of hours in a reformatory before being released in public -- they are still "children", after all.

"If children 14 years and older are sent to adult criminal courts instead of juvenile courts they will be open to different punishment. In the case of murder would they be likely to receive the death sentence."

Nonsense. They don't sentence people to death unless it's two or more people they killed. Even in the case you cited as proof, the man killed a woman and her child after raping the woman; that's technically two people, and an incredibly heinous crime. Linking that to the suggesting that this 14 year old kid shouldn't therefore be tried as an adult is disingenuous. He wouldn't be put to death -- not even close. But he SHOULD, and kids like him, be tried as an adult. It's not like the kid didn't know what he was doing. In fact, he flat out said he wanted to kill someone and had thought about it for some time, making it premeditated.

Michelle: "Zichi I had no idea the justice system in Japan put kids on death row. That has got to be one of the harshest systems in the world then."

Don't listen to it, and certainly don't take it to be the norm. Zichi notes a mere NINE cases in 65 years, with those people, most of whom I guarantee (and one Zichi sighted), being 18 or 19 years old already and being sentenced after becoming 20, committing extremely heinous acts. The US is far worse, putting black kids in sham trials and imprisoning them for life, not to mention countries that shoot first and then ask questions later, if ever. No, a 19 year old who rapes a woman in front of her child, then murders the mother and the child deserves the maximum adult sentence, whereas Zichi would have them spend a few months in a juvenile reformatory and not be tried as an adult unless it were a few months or days later, when they became legal adults. If anything the system is too lenient on crimes carried out by minors, like in this case. They won't even mention the kid's name, when he flat out has said he wanted to murder. He'll be out in no time. The girl, however, will never, ever heal.

Now that the kid is the government's custody, I hope the state reforms him the right way and not just imprison him otherwise, he'll just get out of custody angrier and more determined. We don't want that right? Props to authorities that had to use a blue sheet to cover the kid, they could've just make him wear a face mask or riot helmet to hide his identity.

Ive noticed a pattern, most of these crimes are taken out on school girls, slashing skirts, chopping off hair, other bizarre acts inc slashing throats, why? are they a sexual fetish based? is it just because girls are seen as weak and won't defend them selfs? I notice that these attacks are not taken out on the local yakuza guys!! funny that isntit ?

smithinjapan:

He'll spend a bit of time in a reformatory, then be released with the public's approval to go and do it again.

That was my prediction too.

Toshihiro:

Now that the kid is the government's custody, I hope the state reforms him the right way

....and how does does "the state" "reform him"? Do you know of any reliable way of changing personalities? Does "the state" have any mystical power that we don´t know of?

It seems to me this belief in the power of "the state" is the new religion that people flock to now that traditionial religion is dying.