Victim Escapes with Help Sign After Horrifying Assault
A 49-year-old Japanese woman, Masae Sakurai, allegedly sewed her 42-year-old roommate's lips shut using a needle and thread, sending the victim rushing into the streets with a hand-written sign reading 'please help me,' according to reports from NHK and Kyodo News.
Attack Details: Needle Pierced Skin Multiple Times
The victim, who had been living with Sakurai since April, initially feared fleeing the house in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo. However, once Sakurai left, the woman escaped, donned a white mask to conceal the gruesome injury, and went to a nearby shop. Unable to speak, she held up her sign, prompting an employee to call police.
Local media reported that the victim's mouth had been pierced several times with a needle, entering beneath her nose and exiting through the bottom of her lower lip. The threading passed through the inside of her mouth, making the string difficult to see.
Arrest and Background of Suspect
Sakurai was arrested on suspicion of assault. The motive remains unclear, though the victim stated that Sakurai 'became angry over a trouble.' According to Kyodo News, the women had lived together since April. People who knew Sakurai told TV Asahi that she often let runaways stay with her and helped them find jobs. One former coworker described her as having a penchant for 'taking care of girls who have nowhere to go after reaching out to their parents.'
