Japan woman held over sewn-shut lips allegation

Japanese police arrested a woman near Tokyo on suspicion of assault after her housemate's lips were allegedly sewn shut, officials said Thursday.

The 42-year-old victim escaped from a house in Koga, in Ibaraki prefecture, went to a nearby shop and held up a note reading “please help me,” senior local police official Makoto Hiyama told AFP.

A prefectural police spokesman said 49-year-old Masae Sakurai, who lived with the victim, was arrested Monday over the alleged June 29 incident. The spokesman said Sakurai was suspected of sewing the victim's lips with a needle and thread.

Police are investigating what happened, including unconfirmed information that another person was living at the house, Hiyama said.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that the injured woman told police the suspect became angry over a dispute and her lips were sewn.