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TOKYO: Japanese police said on Thursday (December 17) that they referred a man to prosecutors for online abuse he directed against Hana Kimura, a reality star who took her own life earlier this year.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police referred the suspect in his 20s to prosecutors for further investigation after the death in May of Kimura, a cast member of Netflix’s internationally popular “Terrace House.”
The man has not been arrested and his identity will not be released until prosecutors decide whether to charge him with public insult, a police spokesman told AFP.
“The suspect … in May posted messages on a victim’s social media account, which included ‘You have such a horrible personality. Is your life worth living?’ and ‘Hey, hey. When are you going to die?’ “the spokesman said.
He “posted these insults for many random people to see and therefore publicly insulted” Kimura, the spokesperson added.
Kimura, a confident pink-haired professional wrestler, was a fan favorite in “Terrace House,” in which six young people share a house as they search for love.
But she was targeted by a torrent of online abuse, which allegedly included comments such as “everyone will be happy if you go away.”
The television show was canceled after Kimura’s death, also prompting Japanese ministers and lawmakers to do more to address cyberbullying.
Kimura’s suicide made international news and brought renewed social attention to the problem of cyberbullying in Japan and other countries.
In South Korea, for example, the deaths of K-pop stars have prompted calls for heavy punishment for abusive comments online.
And a massive online campaign against cyberbullying, using the #BeKind hashtag, took off after the February suicide of Caroline Flack, who was hosting the British reality show “Love Island.”
