Japan Internet Suicide Deaths Soar to 91 in 2005 |
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Elaine Lies (reuters@telecom-digest.org) Thu, 9 Feb 2006 21:43:44 -0600
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By Elaine Lies
The number of Japanese killing themselves in groups after meeting
The deadly pacts pose a grim challenge for officials struggling to
No religious prohibitions exist against taking one's own life in
Suicides surged by 35 percent in 1998 as Japan's economy was mired in
Group suicides make up only a small fraction of the total, but the
"Many people are too scared to die alone," said Yumiko Misaki,
"And the worst thing is that people are often very influenced by
In 2003, 34 died in group suicides, rising to 55 in 2004 and 91 last
SECOND TO RUSSIA
That compares with a total of 32,325 suicides in 2004, the latest year
According to World Health Organization data, Japan's suicide rate was
The pace of group suicides was especially sharp during the first three
As with most of the other cases, police found several charcoal stoves
Experts warn that the Internet alone cannot be blamed for promoting
With mental care systems in Japan still basic and often overloaded,
The time lag between people writing about their feelings and receiving
"The best solution would be if we could break into the chat rooms and
There are some hopeful signs, however.
From October, several communications industry groups began providing
Deaths from group suicides in the last three months of the year, after
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited.
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