25-Year-Old Man Charged in Death of Partner Following Violent Attack

On the morning of September 1, shortly after 9 a.m., a police van left the police station. In the back seat was a 25-year-old man being sent for prosecution. When our photographer took pictures, the man appeared to be looking down and in a haggard state.

Ryotaro Masuda, a 25-year-old with an unspecified occupation living in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, was arrested on August 30 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s Investigation Division 1 on suspicion of assault. The death of his girlfriend, a woman in her 20s, was confirmed in the morning of the same day at Masuda’s apartment. Shortly before, Masuda himself had called 119 with the following report:

“She has collapsed in the hallway. She is unconscious.” 

The deceased, referred to as A, was reported to have multiple bruises on her face and body.

“It has been confirmed that A visited a convenience store near Masuda’s apartment alone at around 11:30 p.m. on the night of the 29th, the day before the incident. During police questioning, Masuda admitted, ‘There is no doubt that I slapped her in the face,’ acknowledging the assault. The attack is believed to have occurred between late on the 29th and the morning of the 30th.

Masuda and A met around 2021, having started their relationship after connecting through a social networking site. The couple was living together at Masuda’s apartment. The autopsy revealed bruises on A’s abdomen, and the cause of death was determined to be traumatic shock” (according to a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs division).

 

“She Was Found Collapsed After I Woke Up”

In response to police questioning, Masuda made a surprising statement about his motive for the crime.

“I slapped A because we had an argument about the temperature in the room. I went to sleep, and when I woke up in the morning, she collapsed.”

Conflicts between couples are unfortunately common, and some escalate into severe troubles, including serious injuries or even death. Here are a few major incidents that have occurred in recent years.

・In January 2023, a former boxer was arrested on suspicion of assault. On Christmas night the previous year, he argued with his girlfriend, a woman in her 20s, on the street and kicked her in the face. The woman sustained severe injuries, including a fracture of the right orbital wall, requiring a month for full recovery.

・In June 2023, a man in his 20s turned himself in to the police and was arrested on suspicion of murder. He ambushed his ex-girlfriend, a female university student, in front of her apartment and fatally stabbed her multiple times with a knife. He had previously threatened and assaulted her, saying, “If you break up with me, I’ll kill you.”

・In September 2023, the death of a woman in her 20s was confirmed in an apartment. Her cohabitant was arrested on suspicion of assault. The man is said to have beaten the woman for 20 minutes within the apartment, causing serious injuries, and then neglected her for nearly two weeks.

“In some cases, the police have intervened in advance and held discussions with the parties involved. They have also instructed perpetrators not to approach the women any further. However, even if perpetrators show signs of remorse, it is often not genuine. As a result, some cases unfortunately end in tragedy. Moving forward, it may be necessary to reconsider how authorities handle disputes between men and women” (according to the aforementioned reporter).

In the incident introduced at the beginning, the police are continuing their investigation into the relationship between Masuda’s assault and A’s death.

 

 

At the time of prosecution, he was seen looking down inside the police van (some parts of the photo have been altered).