Man May Face Cyberbullying Charges in Death of ‘Terrace House’ Star Hana Kimura

December 17, 2020

A man from Osaka, Japan may face charges for cyberbullying the late Hana Kimura who died from an apparent suicide earlier this year.

What happened: The man, whose name was not revealed, was suspected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police of sending hateful messages to the late 22-year-old professional wrestler, according to Japan Times.

He allegedly posted messages, such as “Is there any point in you living?” and “Hey, when are you going to die?” on Kimura’s social media.
The man’s comments had already been deleted, but authorities were still able to identify him through the screenshot Kimura saved on her phone. Police started their investigation in November after the family filed a criminal complaint, according to South China Morning Post.
The man was referred to the prosecutors on Thursday and admitted to the charge of public insult, Kyodo News reported.
During a voluntary questioning, he told the authorities he “wanted to get back at (Kimura) after seeing her act violently toward a male (cast member) on the show.”
He sent an apology email to the late professional wrestler’s family in June.
The man may face 29 days of detention or a fine of 1,000 yen ($10) up to 10,000 yen ($97).

Kimura’s death: The professional wrestler and star of the now-canceled Netflix show “Terrace House Tokyo” was found dead inside her home in May.

Months after Kimura’s death, her mother, Kyoko, revealed some behind-the-scenes details related to the controversial episode that led to her becoming a target of cyberbullying.
Kyoko submitted documents to the Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization in July, accusing the reality show of violating the late wrestler’s personal and human rights.
During the investigation, authorities found 1,200 messages sent to Kimura by around 600 social media users. 300 were malicious messages from 200 accounts, mixed in with some positive notes.

If you or anyone you know are suffering from or showing signs of suicidal tendencies, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website.

Featured Image Screenshot via Recreation705

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