A man in his 20s was referred to prosecutors on Thursday by Tokyo police for sending hateful messages on social media against Hana Kimura, a shooter on the popular TV show “Terrace House ”who apparently died earlier this year in suicide.
The man from Osaka Prefecture is suspected of having cyberbullied Kimura on Twitter by anonymity and again posting malicious comments, such as “Hey, when are you going to die?” according to research sources.
In response to Kimura’s death, the government revised a ministry order in August to allow victims of online bullying to ask social media operators to publish the phone numbers of those who have posted anti-bullying comments. In addition, the government intends to simplify procedures for victims to obtain information about users of these social media sites.
The man, who has confessed to the allegations, told police during a voluntary interrogation that he “wanted to get back at (Kimura) after seeing that she was abusing a man (a member of the throwing) on display. ”
Police say Kimura received about 300 hate messages from about 200 accounts, and they believe it was the messages that led her to take her own life.
Criminal proceedings were opened against the Osaka man because his comments were particularly malicious, they said.
“I pray that this will stop people from making fun of others until the number of victims falls,” Kimura Kyoko’s mother said in a statement after the referral.
“I want the perpetrators to commit a crime for their sins, and then to live happily for Hana,” she said.
The mother urged the media to stop pointing out or attacking the criminals as “Hana would not have wanted an attractive chain reaction that would turn the maker into the next. ‘victim.’ ”
The 22-year-old professional warden, who was among the six members of the now-defunct “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” series, was found dead in her Tokyo apartment in May.
The show, the latest in a series that began in 2012, was broadcast by Fuji Television and was also broadcast on the US streaming service Netflix with English subtitles.
Three women and three men shared a house in Tokyo.
In late March, defamatory comments on her face erupted on social media after she inquired with a male male member in a program of the show.
After her death, Fuji Television announced their decision to end the production and broadcast of the reality show.
In September, the Broadcasting Ethics & Program Development Group decided to review the reality show, in response to a claim of human rights violations filed by Kimura’s mother, Kyoko.
If you or someone you know is in an emergency and needs help, there are facilities available. In case of emergency, call 119 in Japan for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need anonymous and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. You can also visit telljp.com. For those in other countries, visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for a detailed list of resources and help.
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