Japan is famous for the whole world as a country of high technologies and deeply moral moral principles. In this country, a low crime rate. It's hard to believe that even really terrible crimes can be committed there. And yet, even in Japan, law enforcement officers sometimes have to investigate criminal cases, from which normal people get cold blood in their veins. The victim of one of the most brutal murders in modern history of Japanese criminalistics was the schoolgirl Junko Furuta.
The beginning of a deadly nightmare
In the late autumn of 1988, four underage boys kidnapped a 16-year-old girl. The victim of the criminals was high school student Junko Furuta. The oldest of her captors at the time of the crime was 17 years old, his name is Hiroshi Miyano. Three friends of the organizer participated in the kidnapping: Joy Ogura, Shinji Minato and Yasushi Watanabe. The criminals forcibly brought their victim to the home of Hiroshi Miyano's parents. Since that moment, Junko's life has turned into an unending nightmare. The abductors forced the girl to call her relatives and say that she left her parents' home voluntarily and is in a safe place, with friends. Junko Furuta was introduced to Miyano's parents as a friend of one of his fellow accomplices.
Life in Hell
The kidnapped girl was held by criminals in custody from the end of November 1988 to January 4, 1989. The prison for Junko was the house of the Miyano family. Parents of the kidnapper quickly realized that the girl was a prisoner. From the address to the police they were deterred by the fact that Hiroshi was in a criminal yakuza group and promised to kill anyone who climbed into his affairs. From the very first day of her imprisonment, Furuta was subjected to regular rape, including in a particularly perverted form, beatings and physical torture. The girl was punished for any "misconduct", was not let out of the house, for days kept without water and food. Junko Furuta begged Miyano's parents to help her escape or call the police. At times she asked her abusers to just kill her and already "stop it all."
The case of a murdered and cemented high school student
The condition of the prisoner has been steadily deteriorating due to numerous injuries and continuing bullying. During the last few weeks of her life, Junko struggled around the house herself. In order to get crawling to the bathroom, it took about an hour. On January 4, 1989, Miyano and her friends once again severely beat the girl. After that, the attackers doused Junko with gasoline from a cigarette lighter and set it on fire. As later forensic experts establish, the girl died of a pain shock. The next day, it was decided to get rid of the body. The corpse was placed in a large barrel and flooded with cement solution, and then taken to the construction site. The discovered body with traces of numerous sadistic tortures caused a wide public resonance. The case of Furuta was called "a case of murder and cementing a high school student". Quite quickly law enforcement officers managed to calculate and detain criminals.
Shocking details of crime
In Japan during the events described juvenile justice acted . For this reason, representatives of official structures did not give detailed comments on the progress of the investigation and concealed the identity of criminals. For the first time, the real names and surnames of the killers appeared in the newspaper Shkan Bunshun, whose correspondents stated that "the rights of people do not apply to livestock." It was in this edition that biographies of criminals and many shocking details of the murder were published. Hiroshi Miyano and his accomplices almost immediately began to cooperate with the investigation. The juvenile sadists described in detail how they tortured the girl. In their testimony, the defendants stated that the murder of Junko Furuta was not in their plans. The criminals claimed that they did not realize until the death of the victim, how much damage she caused. According to the killers, they until the last moment thought that Junko was pretending that she was so hurt and ill.
Court and verdict for murderers
At the time of the trial, all criminals were minors. Despite this fact, they were tried as adults, according to the strictness of local laws. The court found all four accused guilty. For the torture and murder of Junko Furuta, criminals received from 4 to 17 years in prison. The verdict seemed very mild to the injured - the relatives of the murdered girl. Parents Junko even tried to appeal the decision of the court. However, due to a number of circumstances, they did not manage to do this. The main criminal - Hiroshi Miyano (it was in his house that the victim was kept) - was imprisoned for 17 years. The first thing he did after his release was changed his name. So did his most active accomplice. Obviously, criminals realized that murders in Japan are committed, as in any other country, but their atrocities compatriots will never forget.
Mention of Junko Furute in mass art and culture
History Furuta to the depths of the soul shocked the people of Japan and many people outside this country. The first feature film about the fate of the unhappy girl was filmed in 1995 by her compatriot - director Katsuya Matsumura. In 2004, another Japanese filmmaker , Hiromu Nakamura, devoted a film called "Concrete" Junko. In both films, the torture and murder of a girl are rather rigidly shown. Such a story can not be forgotten or left unattended, but it is not recommended that such a movie be viewed by impressionable people. In memory of Junko Furute created a manga and recorded a song. Murders in Japan are committed regularly, but the story of this girl will forever remain in the memory of every Japanese. This crime is shocking with its inhumanity and unreasonable cruelty, as well as lack of motivation. It is difficult to believe that ordinary young people, who were considered sane psychiatric examinations, committed this murder.