Sixteen-year-old Runa spent 18 days in a police cell in Japan, stopped eating properly during her detention and died five months after her release, weighing about 20 kilograms. Her mother, Yoko, is suing Hyogo prefecture police, claiming that the arrest and detention were illegal and led to her daughter's death.
The case involves an allegation that Runa assaulted a resident of the special needs home run by her mother. Police arrested her on June 17, 2025 - about four months after the alleged incident. Runa denies any wrongdoing and has never been formally charged.
Yoko says her daughter tried to stop an agitated resident from biting others by placing her hand around his chin. Police have not provided details of the report, and the specific allegations in the case have not been independently verified.
„I want to see my mother“
For 18 days, Runa was not allowed to see her mother. The ban was requested by prosecutors and approved by a court on the grounds that Yoko, as the homeowner, could influence the evidence.
In a notebook given to the girl during her detention, she repeatedly wrote that she wanted to go home. „Please, I beg you. "I want to see my mother," reads one of the notes seen by CNN.
Lawyer Yoshihiro Mukai said that during their meetings, Runa was very anxious and kept asking what would happen to her. He said details of the girl's experiences in detention were limited.
Yoko said that through her lawyer she learned that her daughter was barely eating, but authorities refused to provide her with full nutrition data. The night before her release, Runa collapsed and was taken to the hospital.
"I feel so sorry for Runa that I couldn't protect her myself," her mother said. According to her, after her release, the girl was so weak that she had to be carried to the car.
109 million yen lawsuit
After being released from custody, Runa was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Her weight continued to decrease and five months later she reached about 20 kilograms - approximately the weight of an average six-year-old child.
The mother is seeking 109 million yen in damages. She insists that the police and prosecutors take responsibility for the way they treated her daughter and clarify the facts in court.
Hyogo Prefectural Police declined to comment on the specific case. A spokesman said the matter was the subject of a pending lawsuit for state compensation and the prefecture's position would be presented in court.
Questions about juvenile detention
The case has once again drawn attention to a practice in Japan known to critics as "hostage justice" - the prolonged detention of suspects without charge.
According to Japanese government figures, more than 6,000 suspects under the age of 20 were detained in 2024. About 4,000 of them were held for more than 15 days.
The Juvenile Law stipulates that they can only be detained when it is "unavoidable". Lawyer Megumi Wada said the term was not clearly defined and left a lot of room for interpretation by authorities.
Lawyer Mikio Uehara called Runa's death "extremely tragic" and said there were serious doubts about whether her detention was necessary. Japan's justice ministry has rejected accusations that the country is implementing a system of "hostage justice" and said the rights of suspects are being taken into account.
Sources: cnn.com