A prisoner serving 23 years for attempted murder succeeded in the first prison breakout in Japan for twenty years on Wednesday (11th January) – wearing only his underwear.
40-year-old prisoner Li Guolin was reportedly exercising in his Hiroshima prison yard when he stripped off his prison clothes and proceeded to climb a 5ft scaffold erected by builders.
Guolin made it over the top and according to a security guard he then “fell on his rear and turned over. Then he ran off at a steady trot.”
At the time, the temperature was around 4 degrees C (39 degrees F).
Guolin has since been placed on Japan’s ‘most wanted’ list and has become the subject of numerous news bulletins featuring vox-pop’s from concerned citizens such as one granny who said that she locked her door early last night as she “just couldn’t sleep.” Bless.
Prison breakouts are pretty rare in Japan, where the justice system prides itself on its efficiency. The Mainichi Shimbun said it was the country’s first escape since 1990, when a youth fled a juvenile detention centre.
Nearly 800 police officers have been deployed in a manhunt for Guolin with officers distributing mug shots of the fleeing prisoner door to door. Though, unless he’s found some clothes, he won’t be that hard to find: just look for the guy with the frozen blue balls.
By Rebecca Jones
Twitter: @RebeccaEJones
