Police arrested a Japanese man in Kyoto for allegedly forcing his nine-year-old stepson to play Grand Theft Auto IV against the child’s will.
Maasa Kawabata, a 28-year-old male nurse, forced his wife’s son from a previous marriage to play the video game for two to three hours a day for nearly three weeks while the mother was away.
All the while, the stepfather hurled verbal abuse at the child, calling him names like “stupid” and “moron” and told him that he should die, according to Japanese media.
Kawabata denied the allegations, saying: “I did not force him to play the game.”
The child was diagnosed last April with dysautonomia, which caused headaches and nausea, prompting the mother to file a complaint with the police. Kawabata was finally arrested this week.
Doctors said the boy fell ill after suffering from stress caused by being exposed to “violence” and “brutality” in the video game. Grand Theft Auto IV is rated “Z”, a rating assigned to games suitable only for people 18 years old and older.
By Maesie Bertumen
