NEED TO KNOW
The alleged victim escaped by running to a shop with a note reading “Please help me” as she couldn’t speak
The suspect reportedly housed people who had run away from home and helped them find jobs, according to acquaintances
Police are investigating the motive and questioning others who were reportedly present during the alleged incident
Police in Japan have arrested a 49-year-old woman after she allegedly sewed her 42-year-old female roommate’s lips together, according to multiple reports citing the Koga Police Station of the Ibaraki Prefectural Police.
Masae Sakurai is alleged to have sewn her roommate’s lips shut with a needle and thread on June 29, according to the Kyodo News by Japan Wire and Independent, citing local police.
The roommate, whose name was not disclosed, was able to leave the house a day later at around 1:30 p.m. local time, while the suspect was out, according to the outlets.
She reportedly wore a white face mask as she ran to a nearby shop, carrying a piece of paper that read “Please help me,” as she was unable to speak, according to Japan Today and Asia News Network.
This allegedly prompted an employee to call the police, who then arrested Sakurai on suspicion of assault, according to Japan Today.
The alleged victim is reported to have been living with Sakurai since around April 2025, according to Japan Wire.
She reportedly told police that her fear of Sakurai prevented her from leaving sooner, explaining, “I was afraid of Sakurai, so I couldn’t escape right away,” according to Japan Today.
Acquaintances of Sakurai told TV Asahi that she reportedly had been letting people “who ran away from their homes” live in her house, according to The Japan Times.
One 49-year-old woman who used to work with Sakurai reportedly said she learned three years ago that Sakurai was “taking care of girls who have nowhere to go after reaching out to their parents,” according to Japan Wire.
Sakurai is also said to have helped her roommates find jobs, per The Japan Times.
A 54-year-old acquaintance of Sakurai allegedly told reporters that they had visited the home in November and seen “two or three women and a male around the age of a junior or senior high school student,” according to Japan Wire.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
People who were staying at the residence are reportedly being questioned by police and are believed to have been present during the alleged incident, Independent reported.
The motive behind the incident is currently being investigated, and police have not disclosed whether Sakurai has admitted to the alleged assault, Asia News Network, Independent and Japan Wire reported.
Read the original article on People