An 18-year-old Romanian youth was jailed for life on Tuesday for fatally stabbing a 22-year-old woman near JR Kichijoji Station in Musashino, Tokyo, on Feb 28, 2013.
The Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court handed down the sentence after a jury of lay judges found the youth guilty.
The youth, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was arrested along with a 19-year-old Japanese friend and charged with murdering Arisa Yamada.
The defendant told the court that he needed money to pay his rent, Sankei Shimbun reported. He said his friend killed the woman and stole 10,000 yen from her. However, his friend, who was tried last year and sentenced to life in prison, testified at his trial that it was the Romanian's idea to kill the woman.
Prosecutors said the pair had bought a knife the day before with the object of committing an armed robbery, Sankei reported.
The court heard that the victim had moved to Tokyo from Aomori Prefecture shortly before her murder to become a beautician. She was working nights at a restaurant to pay for her college tuition. She was attacked about 500 meters from JR Kichijoji Station just before 2 a.m. on Feb 28. She had just left a convenience store and was on her way home from work. Witnesses testified that they saw two young men follow her from the convenience store.
Police said that Yamada was stabbed twice in the back and her left wrist was also cut. She was taken to hospital, but died due to loss of blood. Her handbag was found empty about 200 meters away.
The Romanian was detained after a DNA test showed that blood found on one of his gloves matched Yamada’s. Police subsequently found Yamada's purse and bank book at the apartment where the Romanian's friend was staying.
© Japan Today
24 Comments
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HongoTAFEinmate
Good. Hope there was parity in sentencing. The other chap getting anything less will cause its own headaches.
Pawel Dawid Syrek
It should be - eye for an eye! Both of them deserve to depart from this dimension. For killing innocent young woman. 22 years old, she could have beautiful, happy life.
Stewart Gale
How long is a life sentence generally in Japan? I thought because they were under 20 they would have been tried as juveniles, thus receiving lighter sentences.
Amidalism
Glad to hear that justice was served to this scumbag. Now he has plenty of years to contemplate how he should have just gotten a job to pay for his rent like a normal functioning member of society.
JoshuYaki
Part of me believes he should rot and never see the light of day or breath an ounce of free air ever again but part of me wonders what would make a talented 18 year old make such a horrible decision. Its such a waste of life and for the woman who died and her family that has to carry the pain forever.
True justice would be for him to serve his sentence in a Romanian jail instead of a Japanese one.
wild_one
HongoTAFEinmate " Hope there was parity in sentencing."
The article states, "his friend, who was tried last year and sentenced to life in prison"
What a terrible waste. These two useless ones felt that Arisa Yamada's life was worth only 10,000 yen. Now they will have the rest of their wasted lives to remember her impact on their lives.
sighclops
Good that he got a proper sentence - none of this slap-on-the-wrist minor BS.
Shinjuku No Yaju
If you can charge him as an adult and sentence him to life in prison..you SHOULD be able to name him.
ebisen
Joshuyaki
Believe it or not, and unlike Japan, Romania is an EU country, with a "humane" educative prison system, especially for youth and minors. Things have changed a lot in this area in the past 25 years... for sure a Japanese prison is a lot worse to be into for life.
Nessie
We can't rule out the gaijin factor.
rickyvee
why should my tax money be used to feed, clothe and give this guy shelter? this animal has taken the life of an innocent individual, and when an animal gets out of control, it should be euthanized, just like the dogs were in NZ.
timeon
Nessie, the other murderer, a 19 years old Japanese, also got life
Argus Tuft
Are these the first instances of life sentences given to minors ?
Mirai Hayashi
Hold the phone...this a-wipe is going to prison for LIFE, implying that he has no chance of returning to society, so why not disclose his name?
nath
How would knowing the name make a difference? Bring the victim back.
Kobuta Chan
Good, both murderers have got life sentence.
WA4TKG
Her life was worth ¥10,000 to them...pathetic excuses for humans..rot in hell after your Life in Jail.
Mirai Hayashi
Wow...what a complete waste of a life. 18 y/o -so much ahead, so much to look forward to, and this idiot flushes it all down the toilet for a mere 10,000 yen....what a complete imbecile
MarkG
Scumbags have free rent now. Bad enough just to rob her but murder her because you need to pay rent! Rot in Prison!!!!!
Gengar
Justice.
B.B.Q.Demon
Terrible excuses for human beings. Stick them both in a tiny cell. No heat, cooling nor fresh air. Feed them the cheapest food available, maybe dumpster leftovers. No exercise. No tv. No books. That or just execute them.
Gaijin Dilemma
@B.B.Q.Demon 100% in agreement. This is when we should not adopt the kind humanity nature, when it comes to a innocent human life, it has to be an eye for an eye.
Alex Einz
Wait a sec there, offcourse I am not advocating for his freedom but , it was not him who killed the woman , seems like his only involvement was being a tag along and statement by the killer that it was his idea...which doesnt seem very credible at all . Life seems a bit harsh tbh logically speaking