Hokkaido prosecutor appeals 30‑year sentence in Ebetsu university student murder

On 9 July 2026, Hokkaido prosecutors filed an appeal against the Sapporo District Court’s decision that sentenced 21‑year‑old Kawamura Yōne to 30 years in prison for her role in a 2024 group assault that killed university student Hase Tomoya in Ebetsu. The defendants, including male co‑accused Kawaguchi Yūto, were convicted of robbery resulting in death and other charges. While the court gave Kawaguchi a life term, it imposed a fixed‑term sentence on Kawamura, prompting the prosecution to argue that the crime was “especially heinous” and to request a life‑imprisonment sentence. The defence countered that the offence was not pre‑planned and advocated a 13‑year term. The appeal will be heard by the Sapporo High Court, which could either uphold the 30‑year term or increase it to life imprisonment. Public reaction on social media has been largely critical of the original sentence, viewing the appeal as a response to widespread calls for harsher punishment.