Woman in Japan allegedly sewed female roommate's lips together, gets arrested
The victim said she was too scared of the alleged perpetrator to leave immediately, and only sought help at a nearby store the next day.
PHOTO: Pexels
PUBLISHED ONJuly 08, 2026 3:38 AMBYLim KeweiA woman in Japan was arrested after she allegedly stitched her roommate's lips together.
Masae Sakurai, 49, is accused of assaulting a 42-year-old woman at a house in Koga city, Ibaraki Prefecture, on June 29, reported Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun.
The victim's upper and lower lips were reportedly bound by multiple sutures.
After enduring a day with no food, the victim escaped to a nearby shop when Sakurai left the house.
Unable to speak, the woman showed a store clerk a note that read: "Please help me." The employee then called the police.
Sakurai was arrested on July 6, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The victim reportedly told the police that she was too afraid of Sakurai to leave immediately.
The two women had lived together since April 2025, NHK reported.
The police are investigating the incident.
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