Shocking: Japan woman arrested for sewing housemate's lips shut

A 49-year-old woman has been arrested in Japan after allegedly sewing her housemate's lips shut with a needle and thread. The incident took place on June 29 in the city of Koga, located in the eastern prefecture of Ibaraki. According to public broadcaster NHK, the 42-year-old victim told authorities that the suspect, Masae Sakurai, committed the act after becoming angry during a dispute.

Following the assault, the injured victim managed to escape the residence and flee to a nearby shop. Unable to speak, she held up a piece of paper with a note that read, "please help me," to alert bystanders, according to senior local police official Makoto Hiyama. A prefectural police spokesman confirmed that Sakurai, who lived with the victim at the time, was taken into custody on Monday. She is currently being held on suspicion of assault.

The injured woman told police "the suspect became angry over a trouble and my lips were sewed", as reported in public broadcaster NHK. Local authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack. Police official Hiyama noted that investigators are also looking into unconfirmed reports suggesting that a third individual may have been living at the residence when the incident occurred.