The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office will take a closer look at the criminal responsibility of four people, including his uncle and mother, who were arrested in Kobe last year for assaulting and killing a 6-year-old boy and are undergoing psychiatric evaluation by experts. As necessary, we extended the period of detention for two months.
In June of last year, the body of Osamu Hosaka (6 years old at the time) was found in a suitcase in a grassy area in Nishi Ward, Kobe City, and Osamu was assaulted and killed by beating him with something like an iron pipe. A total of four people, including her uncle Daichi Hosaka (32), her mother Saki Hosaka (35), and two aunts, were arrested.
According to people involved in the investigation, one of the four men has made statements in response to the investigation so far, such as, ``There was a time when he had imprisoned Osamu in a closet and assaulted him.'' This means that there are some inconsistencies in the contents of each statement.
The Kobe District Public Prosecutor's Office held the four in custody from August last year to February 2, in order to investigate their criminal liability, and conducted psychiatric evaluations by experts, but a more detailed investigation is needed. As a result, the court requested a two-month extension of the detention period for appraisal, which was granted.
The prosecutor's office will now decide whether to prosecute based on the results of the examination.