Japanese Prestigious University 'Dungi Assault' on Korean Female Student... "Claiming Group Bullying as Motive"

Swung Hammer During Class, Injuring Eight
Some Victims Say, "We Didn't Know Her at All"

On the 10th, a Korean university student who injured eight students by swinging a hammer at a university in Tokyo Prefecture reportedly claimed that the motive for the crime was due to "group bullying (ijime)."

On the 12th, Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun reported that a 22-year-old female student A, enrolled in the Department of Sociology at Hosei University in Japan, stated during police investigation that "I thought the only way to stop the ijime was to hit the people in the same classroom." However, the police have not yet secured testimonies from related parties to verify whether A's claims of victimization are true.

The scene of Hosei University Tama Campus in Machida City, Tokyo, Japan, where a Korean student assaulted eight people with a blunt weapon on the 10th. Photo by Kyodo News

A is accused of hitting eight other students with a hammer in a classroom at the Tama Campus in Machida City, Tokyo Prefecture, on the afternoon of the 10th. About 10 minutes after the class started, she stood up from her seat, suddenly went to the back of the classroom, and then hit the students sitting in the back row one by one with the hammer. There were 100 students attending the class. The victims hit by A were five male students and three female students, who were injured on their heads, foreheads, and arms, but all were reported to have minor injuries.

Police investigation revealed that A is a Korean resident of Hachioji City, Tokyo Prefecture. A entered this university in April 2023 and on the morning of the incident stole a hammer from another classroom and carried it, later using it in the crime. Immediately after the crime, she was subdued by school staff who arrived at the scene; the time from the start of the crime to her being subdued was only two minutes. When caught, A reportedly stated, "I was ignored by the group, and my frustration built up, so I hit them with the hammer I found at the university."

However, contrary to A's claim of being subjected to group bullying, some of the victims made conflicting statements, saying they did not know A at all. Some victims were acquainted with A and introduced themselves, but other victims said they "did not know her at all." The police are investigating the exact motive and circumstances of the crime, including searching A's residence.

Meanwhile, Hosei University, founded in 1880, is a prestigious private comprehensive university known as one of the so-called "Tokyo Six Universities," along with the University of Tokyo, Keio University, Waseda University, Meiji University, and Rikkyo University.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.