Content Warning
This article includes descriptions of violence that may disturb some readers.
A 20-year-old woman has been sentenced for the role she played in the death of a high school student, who was murdered last April.
In April of 2024, a 17-year-old girl fell to her death after she was pushed off a bridge, into a river in Asahikawa, Japan. The case shocked the nation and made international headlines.
According to Asahikawa District Court‘s ruling, 20-year-old Konishi Yuka conspired with 22-year-old Uchida Riko to drive the victim from Rumoi to Asahikawa (about a 1 hour and 20-minute drive), where she would be assaulted. Konishi’s defense attorney claimed that Konishi participated in the crime but did not orchestrate it. Rather, they argued, Uchida planned that attack after the victim posted a photo on social media without her permission.
The court found that Konishi played an active role during the attack; after the victim cried out for help, Konishi beat her. Judge Ogasawara Yoshihiro said, “The way the crime was committed was cruel and extremely malicious,” and that Konishi, “showed no attitude of respecting the victim’s life and integrity.”
As a result, Konishi Yuka has been sentenced to 23 years in prison, two years less than what the prosecution requested.