Woman arrested in Japan for sewing housemate's lips shut

A woman has been arrested in Japan on suspicion of assault after allegedly sewing shut her housemate's lips during a dispute, police said.

According to police in the city of Koga, located in Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture, the alleged incident took place on June 29. The 42-year-old victim managed to escape the house and sought help at a nearby shop, where she displayed a handwritten note reading: "Please help me."

Police later arrested 49-year-old Masae Sakurai on Monday on suspicion of assault.

A spokesperson for the Ibaraki Prefectural Police said the suspect allegedly used a needle and thread to sew the victim's lips together. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Senior local police official Makoto Hiyama said investigators are also looking into unconfirmed information suggesting that another person may have been living at the house at the time of the incident.