Japanese teens tie rope across street for fun; charged with attempted murder after woman breaks leg

While pranks are meant to be harmless and all in the name of good fun, two Japanese teenagers are now facing attempted-murder charges after their stunt went south.

According to news portal Japan Today, a 77-year-old woman was travelling through the dark streets of Neyagawa, Osaka on her scooter in the early hours of April 29.

On her rounds as a newspaper deliverywoman, her scooter suddenly struck something and threw her onto the road. Though she suffered a broken leg, she was fortunate to survive the accident given her advanced age.

Through investigations, it was revealed that her motorbike had struck a nylon rope tied across the street. CCTV footage later revealed that two 16-year-old boys were behind the dangerous prank. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoadLzzmEh8[/embed]

After they were arrested by police, the boys owned up to the deed but insisted that their intention was not to cause death. Speaking to police, the duo claimed they tied the ropes because "we thought it would be fun to watch people fall".

Japanese netizens expressed anger over the boys' remarks, with Japanese news site Soranews24 reporting that some have called on authorities to reveal the pair's identity so that "their lives will be just as ruined as that lady's".

Others dissed them for their logic, suggesting that there should be a penalty for being "lethally stupid". 

kimberlyfoo@asiaone.com