A 25-year-old woman from Miyagi prefecture has been arrested for allegedly emailing an arson threat to Wit Studio, which is best known for animating the first three seasons of the Attack on Titan anime.
According to Yomiuri News, the suspect was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of forcibly obstructing a business. Kyodo News reports that on May 7, she allegedly sent an email stating, “A week from now, I am going to set fire to your headquarters.”
In a sworn written statement, the suspect stated, “It is true I sent the email.” Allegedly, she had been sending harassing emails and faxes since 2018. The woman’s mental health is reportedly being examined.
Wit Studio issued a statement about the incident, writing, that it has had no firsthand direct or indirect contact with the suspect and that the studio has been in contact with legal counsel since 2018. Wit Studio added that the frequency that the suspect sent communications had been increasing, culminating with the alleged arson threat.
“With no other option, we contacted the police,” Wit Studio wrote, adding that the studio does welcome the viewers’ opinions, both positive and negative, and earnestly takes them into account. However, Studio Wit stated it takes threats and slander very seriously to promote itself and its staff and will not hesitate to contact the authorities and take legal action.
The arrest recalls the tragic Kyoto Animation arson incident which destroyed one of the studio offices and left 36 employees dead.
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