'Peak government ridiculousness': Social media reacts to Japan booking 17-year-old dead girl

Social media users have expressed concern over recent decision of Japan to prosecute a 17-year-old girl who fell from the rooftop of a shopping centre and landed on a pedestrian below, resulting in the death of both, reported Japan Today.

On August 31 of this year, a tragic incident occurred when a 17-year-old girl from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, climbed over a 2.5-meter glass barrier on the 12th floor of the NEWoMan shopping complex above Yokohama Station and jumped. The teenager landed on 32-year-old Chikako Chiba, who was walking with friends below. Both individuals were rushed to the hospital, where the teenager died first, followed by Chiba about three hours later.

Investigators suspect that the teenager’s fall was a suicide, though the exact reasons remain unclear. Posthumously, the teenager has been charged with "gross negligence resulting in death." Yokohama police confirmed that she was aware of the potential danger to pedestrians below.

Social media voices concern:

The decision to prosecute the teenager has sparked debate, with critics questioning the value of prosecuting someone who is deceased. A comment on Japan Today described the action as "peak government ridiculousness."

"Prosecuting a dead girl is peak government ridiculousness – bureaucrats so obsessed with following their rigid, outdated rules that they've completely lost touch with common sense and human decency," said one user.

Another commented, "This is just another way to punish the 17-year-old's parents and family. It was a terrible accident and, let's be honest, this makes no sense."

"It appears as though they are trying to discourage the behaviour in a country known for a high suicide rate," said one more user.

Japan has the highest suicide rate among teenagers in the G7 countries and records more suicides by minors on September 1 than on any other day in the calendar year. In 2023, 513 minors died by suicide on this date, similar to 514 the year before, according to government data.

Overall, 21,800 people in Japan died by suicide last year. To address the issue, the Japanese government appointed a minister for loneliness in 2021, linking the rise in suicides to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

(If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm, please seek help immediately. You can find resources in India here. https://findahelpline.com/countries/in/topics/suicidal-thoughts)