A Japanese mother is suing police for 109 million yen (about US$700,000) over the alleged unlawful arrest and detention of her 16-year-old daughter, who died five months after being released from custody.
The lawsuit against Hyogo Prefectural Police centres on the teenager, identified by CNN using the alias Runa, who was detained for 18 days last year over an alleged assault at the care home run by her mother.
Runa was accused of assaulting a resident at the facility, which cares for people with special needs. Her mother, Yoko, said her daughter had only tried to stop an agitated resident from biting others by placing her hand around the person’s chin.
Runa denied the allegation and was never charged. Police declined to comment on the complaint, while CNN said it could not independently verify the allegations.
During her detention, Runa was barred from seeing her mother after prosecutors sought a restriction that was approved by a court over concerns that Yoko, as the facility’s owner, could tamper with evidence.
The teenager repeatedly wrote notes expressing her desperation to return home and see her mother.
“Please, I beg you. I want to see my mom,” she wrote in one note during her detention.
Yoko said her daughter stopped eating while in custody and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after her release.
The teenager’s condition continued to deteriorate, with her weight falling to around 20kg before her death five months later. Her death was attributed to malnutrition caused by an eating disorder.
Yoko recalled being shocked by her daughter’s condition when she was released, saying Runa had become “skin and bones” and struggled to walk even a short distance.
The case has raised concerns about Japan’s treatment of juvenile suspects, particularly the use of prolonged detention and restrictions on contact with family members.
Under Japan’s Juvenile Law, minors should only be incarcerated when it is “unavoidable”. However, defence lawyer Megumi Wada said the term had never been clearly defined, leaving room for interpretation by authorities.
Legal experts have also questioned whether Runa’s lengthy detention was necessary, given her age and the nature of the alleged offence.
Mikio Uehara, a former public prosecutor who is now a defence lawyer, described her death as “extremely tragic” and said he had serious doubts about whether her detention was necessary.
A separate police guideline calls for investigators to make efforts to accommodate juvenile suspects’ requests to have an appropriate adult, such as a parent, present. However, a law professor told CNN that the guideline was not legally binding.
Japan’s Ministry of Justice has repeatedly rejected allegations of “hostage justice”, a term used to describe the prolonged detention of suspects without charge, saying the rights of those accused of wrongdoing are duly considered.
Yoko told CNN she regretted being unable to protect her daughter and hoped the lawsuit would bring accountability and help reform the justice system.
“Winning this lawsuit would mean that, even if Runa is no longer physically here, it will serve as proof that she lived and left a legacy behind to reform this justice system,” she said.
