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Sumo stablemaster sent to jail over teenager’s death

A Japanese court yesterday sentenced a former sumo stablemaster to six years in prison for ordering the beating of a teenage wrestler who later died of his injuries.

In a case that brought outrage at the ancient sport’s harsh training methods, Junichi Yamamoto, 59, the former head of the Tokitsukaze stable, was indicted last year for ordering the “hazing” in June 2007.

The Nagoya District Court in central Japan sentenced him to six years in prison after prosecutors had demanded seven years without suspension, and defense lawyers had sought a suspended sentence.

Prosecutors said Yamamoto had ordered three senior wrestlers to assault 17-year-old Takashi Saito, with one using a metal baseball bat, after he had repeatedly tried to run away from the stable.

The following day the teenager collapsed and died after an exhausting sparring session. He was pronounced dead from heart failure, but an autopsy and inquests later found the attack contributed to his death.

While Yamamoto’s defense lawyer contended that the harsh treatment did not cause Saito’s death, Yamamoto admitted striking the teenager over the head with a beer bottle after he attempted to run away from the stable.

Presiding Judge Masaharu Ashizawa said: “A stablemaster is expected to play the role of guardian to his apprentices. It is outrageous that he committed such an act.”

After the verdict, Saito’s father, Masato Saito, told a television interviewer: “I understand the sentence was appropriate. But as his father, I can tell you that even a decades-long sentence would not be enough.”
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