Hokkaido court hands 30-year prison to main perpetrator in fatal college assault

The Sapporo District Court sentenced the primary assailant, 21‑year‑old Haruna (Haoto) Kawamura, to 30 years in prison for the October 2024 beating‑to‑death of 20‑year‑old college student Tomoya Hase in a park in Ebetsu, Hokkaido. The attack, described by the judge as “extremely brutal and heinous,” was carried out by six youths who also robbed the victim, stealing cash and credit cards and using them to purchase cigarettes and food. Two other defendants received substantial terms: 19‑year‑old Kaito Takizawa was given 20 years, and a 16‑year‑old accomplice received an indeterminate sentence of nine to 13 years. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Kawamura and longer terms for the others, but the court imposed fixed‑term imprisonment, noting the lack of a single mastermind and the defendants' roles in the violent robbery.

The sentencing marks the most severe fixed‑term punishment handed down for the case, highlighting the court’s response to a high‑profile violent crime that shocked Japanese society.