Tokyo Police To File Charges Against Man Who Cyberbullied Hana Kimura

Asahi Digital (via Fightful) reports that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department plans to file charges against the man who has been accused of cyberbullying Hana Kimura. It is believed that the bullying from people online was so extreme it led to Kimura’s suicide back in May.

Police believe an Osaka man in his 20s is responsible for several bullying and threatening messages via social media. The posts were deleted after her death, but screenshots were taken before that and sent to police. Nearly 1,200 posts from 600 accounts are under investigation. The man who was accused has also apologized to Kimura’s family through an email in late June. Police are still investigating the other messages that were sent to her.

Kimura was harassed online after an episode of Terrace House, in which she was portrayed in a manner that made her appear very upset with a housemate for ruining her wrestling outfit. Her mother Kyoko filed a complaint with the Broadcast Ethics & Program Improvement Organization in Japan at the time. She claimed that the producers pressured Kimura into behaving a certain way, which led to the bullying.

If you have thoughts of self-harm, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.