4 women jailed for beating acquaintance to death

The four women said they got mad at Hashimoto because they heard she had been bad-mouthing them to another woman whom they knew.

Nine years for a premeditated murder, due to bad-mouthing? Sumthin aint write here!

It seems the bad-mouthing was deserved.

Weak sentence

These women were not charged with murder but manslaughter (bodily injury resulting in death). That's probably why they received lenient sentences.

Tiny jail sentences in capital punishment Japan. 'Safe' country?

What's wrong with people!

"Hell hath no fury....!"

Yes very save country. While there are extreme cases like these three overall crime rates are low.

Nine years for a premeditated murder, due to bad-mouthing? Sumthin aint write here!

Tiny jail sentences in capital punishment Japan. 'Safe' country?

Sorry Yubaru, I did not follow this case, was there a point in the trial where the women said their intention was to kill the woman? You might be able to give us a better look. All I see here is a lack of details and a manslaughter charge.

Johninjapan, does your country have capital punishment? If so, what is the typical charge for manslaughter? It carries a max of 11 years where I am from.

@wontond good point !!!

I would like to know why they were charged with manslaughter rather than murder. There seems to be obvious premeditation here. I suppose the question is whether there was intent to kill rather than just inflict bodily harm.

Anyone out there know the specifics of the case and the actual legal differences between murder and manslaughter in Japan?

The value of a human life seems to be low for the Tokyo District Court. 20 years minimum should have been about right.

Just 9 and 6 years for taking a person's life. Japanese system is a joke.

Just a minor misunderstanding.

Japanese judges are nuts - where's Roy Bean when he's needed?

Now they can bad mouth about the dead woman in prison !

All I see here is a lack of details and a manslaughter charge.

What is your definition of manslaughter? The simple definition of manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice, and it seems to me that these women most certainly had "malice" and intent, which makes it premeditated murder.

The court heard that the four women used pipes and a curling iron to attack Taeko Hashimoto, 31, who was an acquaintance, at her apartment on May 19, 2014. Hashimoto died of her injuries the next day. The four women said they got mad at Hashimoto because they heard she had been bad-mouthing them to another woman whom they knew.

4 women jailed for beating acquaintance to death

Jail and prison are two totally different locations. These women were sentenced to prison, not jailed, jail is a location for minor offenses or holding until trial.

Prison is hard time, and that is what these wenches are getting, not jail time, prison time!

Murderers: A Woman is bad-mouthing us? How dare she make up such horrible lies about us, WE'LL SHOW HER!

These four women at some point sat, talked, and planned the murder of their acquaintance, simply for bad mouthing them. That means that not only is it premeditated murder, but it is particularly barbaric given that they surrounded her and beat her to death with pipes and other instruments. And the ring-leader gets ONLY nine years and three of them six??? Japanese law and justice at work once again, ladies and gentlemen.

These four women at some point sat, talked, and planned the murder of their acquaintance

Maybe, maybe not. They may have just decided to 'teach her a lesson', or something like that, without deciding to murder her.

Please remember that Torture (in Japanese way) is routine in prisons in Japan. Prisoners are made to sit still, follow silly orders all the time, have limited access to basic needs, .... So the judge knows it is years of prison and torture not allowed in developed countries but a simple fact in Japan. So the judge makes a reasonable decision knowing the reality of prison life in Japan

Seems like a perfect normal reaction, "you said something behind my back, lets bludgeon you to death!"

That means that not only is it premeditated murder, but it is particularly barbaric given that they surrounded her and beat her to death with pipes.

It said in the artical "Hashimoto died of her injuries the next day."

Ignore the drama zone less trouble. This what am doing in my daily life.

maybe "act of passion" cut the sentence by half?

You don't bash people to death for bitching about you behind your back. You simply find better friends.

Some people would be in jail for the rest of their natural life if they killed every person who ever said a bad word about them.