Man arrested for attempted murder after pushing woman off platform at Tokyo station

Source: Japan Today

A 24-year-old man was arrested for attempted murder on Monday night, accused of pushing a 60-year-old woman off a platform and onto the train tracks at Tokyo station.

Police said the woman was waiting for a Chuo line rapid train on platform 1 of Tokyo station, when she was pushed from behind onto the tracks at about 8.10 p.m., and hit by the train arriving at the platform. The woman suffered injuries to her head and body, but was in a stable condition in hospital, police said Tuesday.

Police said Shusuke Ota, reportedly unemployed and suffering from a mental disability, ran away after pushing the woman off the platform but was caught and held by a station staff member and two other men until police arrived.

An eyewitness told police that one of the men yelled at him asking him if he knew what he had just done, and said that Ota was screaming that he had failed an employment exam and that the world did not need him. Ota later admitted to police he pushed the woman off the platform, saying he wanted to die, and did it to get the death penalty.

The woman was pushed from the platform where the front car of the train was about to stop. The train driver said he saw the woman on the tracks and applied the brakes. The train made contact with the woman at a low speed, police said.

First of all it must suck being a train driver in Japan. Dealing with the crowds and always have to brake for possible suicides and murders.

Secondly, the lady didn't die and the guy was mentally unstable. I don't know about Japan but in Canada he wouldn't have to serve anytime.