Japan woman arrested allegedly sewing roommate's lips

A 49-year-old woman has been arrested in Japan after allegedly sewing her roommate's lips shut with a needle and thread, an attack that culminated in the victim's silent escape to a nearby store to seek help. Masae Sakurai was taken into custody on Monday, July 6, on suspicion of assaulting the 42-year-old woman at their shared home in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.

Police allege the assault occurred on the afternoon of June 29. The victim escaped the residence the following day, June 30, while Sakurai was away. Unable to speak, she walked into a nearby shop wearing a face mask to conceal her injuries and presented a handwritten note that read, "please help me" or "help me." A store employee contacted authorities, who arrested Sakurai and transported the victim to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The victim told investigators she had been too frightened of Sakurai to leave earlier, stating she "was afraid of Sakurai, so I couldn't escape right away." She had been living with the suspect since approximately April 2025. According to police, the attack was related to some form of dispute, with the victim reporting the suspect "became angry...