Investigators are seen in the area around where the family of three were found collapsed in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, in this aerial photo taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter on Oct. 14, 2021. (Mainichi)
MATSUYAMA -- One of the victims of a family of three that were stabbed to death on Oct. 13 in the west Japan city of Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, had consulted with prefectural police about defamation since about two years ago.
In the incident, married couple Tomoyoshi and Aiko Iwata, both 80, and their son Kenichi, 51, were killed at home.
Kenichi had consulted with the prefectural police about Satoru Kono, 53, who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of violating the swords and firearms control law at the Iwatas' home on Oct. 13. Police then arrested him Oct. 15 on suspicion of murder. The prefectural police are investigating the case, believing that Kono held a grudge against Kenichi. Kono has reportedly admitted to the allegations, telling investigators, "It's true that I killed them."
Kono used to work with Kenichi before and knew the family. In May and September 2019, someone going by the name Kono wrote a post defaming Kenichi on an internet forum. Kenichi consulted with the prefectural police twice in September and November 2019, saying that Kono had told him to "stop electromagnetic wave attacks." Meanwhile, Kono also consulted police four times between July 2019 and August 2020, insisting that Kenichi had pointed electromagnetic wave beams at him.
When Kono barged into the Iwatas' home about three weeks earlier, police officers visited the scene after receiving an emergency call and apparently ordered him to stop such actions.
The prefectural police provided the prefectural health center with the information about Kono's consultations five times between 2019 and 2020 based on the Mental Health Act, but apparently judged at the time that there was no concern that Kono would hurt himself or someone else.
(Japanese original by Tomoe Saito, Matsuyama Bureau)
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