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Not the suspect. Shutterstock/marina kuchenbecker

Stray cat is a suspect in Japanese attempted murder case after pensioner found covered in blood

A cat was found with human blood on it.

A JAPANESE POLICE probe into the attempted murder of an elderly bedridden woman has reportedly led to an unlikely suspect: a stray cat.

Mayuko Matsumoto’s daughter found her bleeding profusely from about 20 cuts to her face at her home in a mountainous region of southern Japan.

Police launched an attempted murder investigation after seeing the wounds, some of them relatively severe, according to local broadcaster RKK.

“When we found her, blood covered everything above her chin. Her face was soaked in blood. I didn’t know what had happened,” Matsumoto’s daughter told RKK.

Matsumoto, who is 82-years-old and reportedly unable to speak, had to receive emergency care, Kyodo News said.

Investigators found no sign of people entering or leaving the house at the time of the suspected attack.

They then realised that Matsumoto’s wounds looked like cat scratches, it added.

Police turned their attention to the stray cats loitering around Matsumoto’s house, and found traces of what may be human blood on one of them.

“Police are analysing a blood sample taken from the claw of the cat which might have scratched the victim,” national broadcaster NHK reported.

A police spokesman declined to directly comment on the case on Friday, but told AFP that investigators were not disputing the media reports.

- © AFP, 2017

Read: Comedian Louis CK and actor Steven Seagal latest to face accusations of sexual harassment >

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    Mute John Smith
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:12 AM

    I absolutely can’t stand Leo, but protests outside his home is completely unacceptable. If you have problems with his policies protest outside government buildings.

    1196
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    Mute
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:21 AM

    @John Smith: The problem is these illiterate uneducated Cannon fodder gobdaw types probably don’t vote they most likely believe that being part of an anti establishment movement means not to vote.

    657
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    Mute New Irish Art
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:18 AM

    Whatever happens on the political stage, there should be no tolerance for this level of protest. Individuals elected to do a job must have their privacy protected by law and that law must be applied. There should be no cheap PR available from such stunts.

    609
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    Mute Elaine Casey
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:58 AM

    @Aileen Lawlor: this is pure victim blaming. He should 100% be able to post to social media if he wants, he has a life outside of politics. People know where I live, doesn’t give them the right to rock up at my front door and picket me or my family.

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Sep 20th 2021, 10:06 AM

    @Aileen Lawlor: wow. Blame the victim.

    227
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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:51 AM

    Bit late now lads. 90% of the country fully vaccinated and you’re campaigning against vaccines. That boat sailed about the same time as the Titanic.

    334
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    Mute Gerry from the Block
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    Sep 20th 2021, 8:56 AM

    The Government and the Guards have been warned about these far right loonies for long enough now yet choose to take no action. Maybe now something might happen but its too late. They’ve been given enough free reign for the last few years and now they have big money backing them from abroad. Follow the money and close these head the balls down.

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    Mute Gerard
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:02 AM

    @Gerry from the Block: the problem is the second you do they’ll be screaming it’s a police state

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    Mute Gerry from the Block
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:16 AM

    @Gerard: At this stage they can scream all they want. They’re made up mostly of grifters and wasters with nothing else to be at with their time. They’re growing stronger with all the money being thrown at them and it’s only a matter of time before there is a serious incident where somebody gets hurt. One of them was ranting a few weeks back that the president of Ireland should be dragged out if his house and his head should be danced on. I mean, how can this just be let go? What has to happen before the Guards get properly involved?

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    Mute Rebecca BarrettNp
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:20 AM

    @Gerard: They’re screaming that already, they were screaming it while we all kept inside our 5km last year, and they were all travelling the country unhindered to protest wherever they wanted. Are we going to wait until they get inside someone’s house? Because that’s the next step.

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    Mute Rebecca BarrettNp
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:22 AM

    @Liam Mc Meel: ‘The people’ had a democratic election and voted for this ‘so-called Government’, this group of 25 are not ‘the people’, they are fascists.

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    Mute Edmund Murphy
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:56 AM

    @Rebecca BarrettNp: It is amazing how many of them are were originally far right extremists extremists. Then they hopped on the Irexit bandwagon and now they all became anti-vaxers. Like that Cahill person Some people just seem to be fueled by what ever hate can fuel their selfish outlook on the world.

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    Mute Edmund Murphy
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:56 AM

    @Edmund Murphy: I had to edit that comment so much to get it to post but I’m glad of that. I don’t need to stoop to their level of discourse.

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    Mute andrew
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:27 AM

    A crowd of chancers that’s what they are.

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    Mute Alan Beirne
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:53 AM

    Is it ok during elections for politicians to walk up to your house knock on your door and/or push election material through your letter box? Maybe what’s good for the goose is good for the gander!

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Sep 20th 2021, 10:03 AM

    @Alan Beirne: same thing is it? Lol

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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Sep 20th 2021, 10:04 AM

    @Alan Beirne: while i agree, the leaflet through the door is very annoying, it is not intimidating. I do not feel intimidated in my own home when i get a leaflet through the door. Massive difference. There is absolutely no excuse for that behaviour and ‘protest’.

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    Mute flexfinn
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    Sep 20th 2021, 10:05 AM

    @Alan Beirne: do they harass you at the door, call into question your heritage and sexuality , abuse you or anything remotely resembling hassle , also you can tell them to go away from door an they will

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    Mute Jane Waters
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:39 AM

    If people want to protest, they can and should do so at the GPO, Govt Buildings or the Dail. But NO politician of whatever hue should be victims of terrorists in their own homes.
    The people who engaged in this so called “protest” are nothing more than bullying thugs. They are narrow minded people without the capacity to act in a a civilized manner. People, whose actions are fueled by an uncouth rage rendering them unable to act without any sense of dignity, decency or proberty.
    And for the record I am not admirer of Leo or a fan of Fine Gael.

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    Mute Colin Kavanagh
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:36 AM

    The far right have been getting away with online abuse, abusing front line workers, turning up to politicians homes, filming themselves breaking COVID legislation , attacking members of the public etc for the past 18 months. This is a natural progression. Whilst the brain capacity of these people are low – note lady describing Varadkar as the Taoiseach and a Muslim – they are unhinged and need to be stopped. The homophobic nature of the abuse yesterday is sickening and the Gardai stood by and allowed it to happen.

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    Mute SkylineSi
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    Sep 20th 2021, 10:14 AM

    Regardless of what party you may support or be part of, this must be called out as disgusting on multiple levels and must be stopped. yes there is a right to protest, but there is also a right to privacy to both the public and/or any public servant

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    Mute David Knight
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:35 AM

    @Liam Mc Meel: fair play??? So screening homophobic abuse at someone outside thier home is fair play now John. I’m glad your kind is only a very very small minority in this great country.

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    Mute Declan Doherty
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:35 AM

    We desperately need protests against this government but while their incompetence and corruption affects each of us in our own homes every day, this kind of protest is counter productive.

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    Mute David Knight
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:39 AM

    @David Knight: I should say beautiful, great and TOLERANT country….

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    Mute Bill Spill
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    Sep 20th 2021, 9:32 AM

    @Liam Mc Meel: Do you agree with this demonstration?

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Sep 20th 2021, 10:06 AM

    @Bill Spill: no, it’s despicable as are the goons

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