'Today I gave mum more poison' . . . blogger reveals murder plot
Thursday November 03 2005
Over the summer the student (16) is alleged to have laced her mother's food with increasing doses of thallium, a rat poison. Her mother is now in a coma and critically ill.
The girl, who is from rural Shizuoka, was apparently inspired by Graham Young, Britain's notorious 'Teacup Poisoner' who, in 1962, aged 14, slowly killed his stepmother with what was thought to be the same lethal substance. Asked by the compilers of her school yearbook to identify the historical figure she admired the most, she named Young.
In further emulation of her deranged hero, who poisoned numerous family members and work colleagues and died in prison, the Japanese girl recorded her mother's horrific daily sufferings in a matter-of-fact internet diary.
WEBSITE
The girl's blog has been removed from the internet but extracts apparently copied from it survive on other Japanese websites.
"It's a bright, sunny day today, and I administered a delivery of acetic thallium," the girl wrote in August. "The man in the pharmacy didn't realise he had sold me such a powerful drug."
Other entries attempt to match the meticulously scientific style of Young's macabre diary, where he transcribed in detail the effects of each poison he administered and weighed up whether his subjects should live or die in excruciating pain.
Her blog mentioned rashes on the victim's body and problems with her breathing.
The girl goes on to report her mother's hallucinations and other agonies, before criticising the small size of her life insurance policy.
Both the girl and Young tested poisons on living things.
"Up until now I have killed various creatures," her blog reports, before describing the mother's poisoning.
"It was fun to play with them, but all the same rather tiring. It took rather a long time to dispose of the lumps of dead flesh."
The blog repeatedly uses the word "boku", the Japanese for "I", but a form used only by men. Police sources believe this may point to her close identification with Young.
The girl bought the poison from local stores and on the internet.
SYMPATHY
"I even received sympathy from my teachers when I tearfully talked about my sick mother" says her blog. "I guess people are cheated more easily than expected."
She denies attempted murder, but told police her mother was suffering from thallium poisoning.
Over the summer she is believed to have taken thallium herself, just as Young did, in an attempt to allay suspicion. The police were alerted by the girl's brother. (© The Times, London)
- Leo LewisinTokyo
