Japan police arrest teenagers for assault and extortion

Police in Japan have arrested individuals in two separate incidents involving teenage suspects.

In Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a 15-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of assaulting another 15-year-old girl at a riverbed near Crystal Bridge. The victim reported being grabbed by the hair and kicked in the abdomen. The suspect has denied the allegations.

In Tokyo, five high school students were arrested for an organized extortion scheme in Shibuya. The group allegedly lured a man into a hotel, then assaulted him and demanded money, claiming, ‘This person is 15, so what are you going to do?’ They reportedly stole 300,000 yen from the victim. One suspect stated they committed the crime because they ‘wanted money to play with.’