In Japan, Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested a 28-year-old man. His crime? Allegedly forcing a kid to play Grand Theft Auto against his will.
According to reports in MSN Japan and Yomiuri Online, the suspect, a 28-year-old male nurse named Maasa Kawabata, allegedly made his wife’s nine-year-old son from a previous marriage play GTA IV. Authorities say the suspect made the child play the game for between two-to-three weeks, for about two-to-three hours a day when the mother was out.
“I did not force him to play the game,” Kawabata is quoted as saying. In Japan, the Computer Entertainment Rating Organisation gave Grand Theft Auto IV a “Z” rating, making the game ages 18 and up.
Kawabata married his 31-year-old wife in October 2012. That November, he moved in with her and her son. According to Japanese media reports, Kawabata called the boy names like “stupid” and “moron” and even told him to die — supposedly when the mother was not at home.
Last April, the boy complained of having headaches and stomach pain as well as feeling nausea, causing the mother to cease living with her husband. The following month, a doctor diagnosed the boy as having dysautonomia brought on by stress from playing the game. That June, the mother reported the incident to the police, who finally arrested Kawabata earlier today.
News reports don’t say whether or not being called names by the mother’s new husband brought on the child’s illness. They do mention the “violence” and “brutality” of Grand Theft Auto IV, however.
妻が出掛けると人格豹変 連れ子小３男児に残虐ゲーム強要 介護士の男逮捕 京都・木津署 [産経]
９歳児に残酷ゲームを強要、容疑で男逮捕…京都 [読売]
Comments
4 responses to “Man Arrested After Allegedly Forcing Child To Play Grand Theft Auto IV”
*facepalm* Of course it’s stress from a 9 year old playing GTA IV that caused it. Not the fact that from the sounds of it the guy was an emotionally abusive asshole that even told the kid to die and not to mention probably called the kid all sorts of names while he played the game, because everyone knows thats not stressful at all…You know what. Fuck it this is getting ridiculous.
Also I think they need a better doctor.
Yeah, if you bullied a kid with name-calling and threats, then forced him to play Stairway to Heaven for a few hours every day – insulting their skill while they played – I doubt there’d be criticism of guitars or Led Zeppelin.
I take it the “doctor” is neither a gamer nor a very good doctor. If he was either he’d have the sense to figure out the kid’s dysautonomia was probably actually brought on by the abuse he received from his a-hole step father, because being constantly bullied and harassed does kinda have an impact on one’s well-being. But what do I know? I’m not a doctor, just a gamer.
Also, while we’re blaming video games on anything and everything, no matter how flimsy the connection, I’ll blame them for me not winning lotto. It doesn’t matter that I don’t normally buy a ticket, or that the odds aren’t in my favour. I’m guessing there’s a correlation simply because on the days I’ve bought the losing tickets I’ve also (most likely) played a video game.
“Don’t make me go bowling, please!”
If your a kid and don’t like your mums husband, tell her he told you to die and called you baka.
Then make up a story about being forced to play a game.