Teen sentenced to life in prison over leading role in fatal 2024 Hokkaido group assault
Prosecutors sought the sentence for Yuto Kawaguchi, 19, arguing he should bear the greatest responsibility for leading the assault on 20-year-old university student Tomoya Hase.
A Japanese court sentenced 19-year-old Yuto Kawaguchi to life in prison for his leading role in a fatal group assault and robbery of university student Tomoya Hase in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, in 2024. Kawaguchi, who was 18 at the time of the October 2024 attack, pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in death and other charges. Prosecutors argued that he should bear the greatest responsibility for the crime, as he led the assault and demanded money and valuables from Hase.
Hase died from traumatic shock after the group assaulted him in a park. Another defendant, 17-year-old Haoto Kawamura, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while Kaito Takizawa, 19, received a 20-year sentence. Two other defendants, 16-year-old and 16-year-old, received indeterminate sentences of nine to 13 years. The incident occurred after Hase's then-girlfriend, Ama Yagihara, consulted Kawamura about ending their relationship.
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