Nevada-chan - a girl killer with a box cutter

Japan is deservedly considered one of the safest countries in the world. Even organized crime there has a "human face" and rarely affects ordinary citizens. Japanese children calmly get to school on their own, leave their bicycles on the street without locks, and all this is perceived as normal. Unfortunately, even in the Land of the Rising Sun, monstrous crimes sometimes occur, sometimes committed by children themselves. In 2004, an 11-year-old schoolgirl killed her classmate with a stationery knife right within the school walls. She responded to the incident succinctly: "I'm very sorry."

The crime that shocked all of Japan occurred on June 1, 2004, at Okubo Elementary School in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. It is a prestigious school where children are admitted only after a strict selection process. The killer, an 11-year-old girl, was admitted because of her high IQ, which was 140.

The school day started as usual and went on as usual until lunchtime. The teacher announced a break and allowed the children to have lunch. The students took out their bento (food containers) and began to eat. The teacher noticed that two girls were missing from the class - Natsumi Tsuji and Satomi Mitarai. This immediately made her worried.

She was worried for good reason. At that time, Natsumi called Satomi to one of the empty classrooms on the same floor. The girls were friends, so Satomi did not think anything bad. She expected some kind of surprise when her classmate tightly blindfolded her with a scarf. But instead of playing, Tsuji slit her friend's throat with a stationery knife.

As the wheezing victim fell to the floor, the killer leaned over her and slit her wrists with a few blows. After making sure that Satomi was dead, Natsumi walked back to class in her bloody clothes. The teacher and students were shocked by her appearance. A few minutes later, the girl's body was discovered and the police were called.

At school, the killer seemed completely cold-blooded and detached. But when she was brought to the police station, everything changed. She began to cry and said that she was very sorry for her terrible act. Natsumi Tsuji told the investigator that she killed her friend for bullying. According to her, Satomi Mitarai made fun of her because of her excess weight.

Satomi Mitarai not only made fun of Natsumi Tsuji among her friends and classmates, but also wrote nasty things about her online. Natsumi asked her to stop several times, but instead faced more bullying. Teachers and classmates later said that the killer had already shown aggression towards other children and once even threatened someone with a knife.

In Japan, juvenile offenders are not legally identified, so the press referred to the killer as "Girl A." But that nickname quickly changed to "Nevada-chan." She got the name because of her favorite sweatshirt with the word "Nevada" written on it, which she wore in school photos and on the day of the murder. Despite her attempts to remain anonymous, the name of the 11-year-old offender, Natsumi Tsuji, soon became known to the general public.

One of the Fuji TV reporters made a mistake while reporting on the criminal. While showing her drawings, he accidentally showed the caption under one of them. Thus, the name Natsumi Tsuji became known first in Japan and then around the world. The story quickly spread across forums and social networks, causing heated discussions. "Nevada-chan" even gained fans who admired her actions and began wearing sweatshirts with the inscription "Nevada", copying her style.

The trial began in late summer 2004, and on September 15, Natsumi Tsuji heard the verdict. As expected, it was extremely lenient, since the defendant was an 11-year-old girl. "Nevada-chan" was sentenced to 4 years of compulsory treatment. At the same time, a psychiatric examination did not reveal any violations. However, the main question remained unanswered: what made an ordinary schoolgirl take a knife in her hands?

Natsumi Tsuji was a smart and capable girl. At first, she got along well with her classmates, and Satomi Mitarai, whom she killed, was her best friend. But gradually Natsumi began to distance herself from her peers, becoming more and more withdrawn and unsociable. It was as if a cat ran between her and Satomi - disagreements arose between the girls, and they quarreled more and more often, not talking to each other for long periods.

Experts have determined that the hikikomori phenomenon is to blame for Natsumi Tsuji's changes. The girl lost touch with reality, began to avoid communicating with other people, and found new hobbies. She spent all her free time watching anime and violent thrillers, and also began playing video games marked 18+. In addition, Natsumi started a blog where she published dark and bloody stories, plunging deeper and deeper into the world of fictional violence.

Of course, no video game or movie by itself can push a person to commit murder if they are not predisposed to violence. There are hundreds of thousands of hikikomori like Natsumi Tsuji in Japan, but the vast majority of them are incapable of harming even a cat, let alone killing a person.

The schoolgirl served her term of compulsory treatment and left the clinic. She exercised her right to protect her privacy by changing her name. Now "Nevada-chan" has long since become an adult, and her fate remains unknown. The killer disappeared from public view, but her image has become entrenched in youth culture, where she still has her fans.

Nevada-chan's story makes us think about many things: the role of bullying, the influence of the environment, and also the responsibility for violence committed by children. What do you think about how society should react to such cases? How can tragedies of this kind be prevented? Share your opinion in the comments!