Despite Confession, False 'Foreign Suspect' Rumors Spread in Japan Over Missing Boy's Murder

Although the perpetrator of the elementary school student's murder case, which has shocked Japanese society, was revealed to be the stepfather, rumors about a foreign suspect have reportedly been spreading on social networking services (SNS).

On April 17 (local time), local media outlets such as the Mainichi Shimbun reported that false information, including posts claiming "the perpetrator is 24 years old" and "a foreigner committed the crime," has been circulating on SNS platforms including X (formerly Twitter). Some users have even mentioned specific countries.

Local police searching for a missing elementary school student in Kyoto, Japan. Photo by NHK

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Previously, in Kyoto, Japan, an elementary school student, referred to as "A," who had gone missing on the way to school, was found dead in the mountains after about three weeks. Following an investigation, the police arrested the stepfather who lived with A on charges of corpse abandonment. The suspect reportedly admitted to the charges during questioning, stating, "I did it."

Nevertheless, despite the suspect's confession and admission of guilt, false information continues to spread. The media noted that "investigators are denying the information circulating on SNS," and cautioned that images of the suspect and the victimized boy, some generated using generative artificial intelligence (AI), are spreading online, urging users to exercise caution.

Meanwhile, the incident occurred at an elementary school in Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, on March 23. When A remained missing for three weeks, the stepfather, Yuki Adachi (37), directly reported the disappearance to the police. Police subsequently deployed around 1,000 personnel to thoroughly search the area, including the surroundings of the school, nearby forests, and even the bottom of nearby lakes.

After an extensive search, authorities discovered A's body at the entrance of a mountain on April 13. As the investigation narrowed down the list of suspects, police eventually arrested Adachi. The investigation revealed that Adachi had searched for methods of disposing of a body when A went missing.

Furthermore, contrary to Adachi's claim at the time of the disappearance-"I drove the child to school in my car"-closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the school did not show any record of A's arrival. A's body, backpack, and shoes were all found deep in the mountains, far from the school, and authorities believe the body was moved several times. Police suspect that Adachi deliberately changed the location to confuse the search and investigation.

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