Killing of Satomi Mitarai
The "Sasebo slashing" (Japanese: 佐世保小6女児同級生殺害事件, Hepburn: Sasebo shōroku joji dōkyūsei satsugai jiken), also known as the Nevada-tan murder, was the murder of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, Satomi Mitarai (御手洗 怜美, Mitarai Satomi), by an 11-year-old female classmate referred to as "Girl A" (a common placeholder name used for female criminals in Japan). The murder occurred on June 1, 2004, at an elementary school in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture. The murderer slit Mitarai's throat and arms with a box cutter.
| Sasebo slashing | |
|---|---|
Okubo Elementary School; the site of the murder (pictured on March 11, 2011) | |
| Location | Okubo Elementary School, Higashiokubocho, Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan |
| Date | June 1, 2004 |
Attack type | Murder |
| Weapon | Utility knife |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Victim | Satomi Mitarai, 12 |
| Perpetrator | Girl A, 11 |
Reactions to the incident included Internet memes and a discussion of lowering the age of criminal responsibility in Japan. The killer's name was not released to the press, as per Japanese legal procedures prohibiting the identification of juvenile offenders; the Nagasaki District Legal Affairs Bureau cautioned Internet users against revealing her photos. However, members of the Japanese Internet community 2channel read a name on a classroom drawing believed to be made by Girl A, and publicized the name on June 18, 2004.