A dispute between roommates in Tokyo led to one woman sewing the other's lips shut with a needle and thread, sending the victim fleeing into the streets to seek help. The 42-year-old victim, unable to speak due to the sewing, carried a handwritten sign that read "please help me." She managed to escape her home in the eastern prefecture of Ibaraki while her 49-year-old roommate, Masae Sakurai, was out.
Upon reaching a nearby shop, an employee saw the sign and contacted the police. The victim informed authorities that Sakurai had become angry over an unspecified issue, leading to the attack. Reports indicate the victim's mouth was pierced multiple times with a needle, with the thread passing through the inside of her mouth and exiting below her lower lip, making the damage difficult to see.
Sakurai was arrested on suspicion of assault. The two women had been living together since April. Neighbors told local media that Sakurai had a history of taking in individuals who had nowhere else to go and assisting them in finding employment.