Japan's parliament has approved tougher penalties for criminal defamation in a move prompted by a bullied wrestler's suicide.
Wrestler Hana Kimura took her own life after online abuse after appearing on a reality showThe lenient penalty led to a wave of backlash in Japan
Parliamentary deliberations on toughening the defamation law began in January after Hana Kimura took her own life at age 22. Ms Kimura faced bullying and insults on social media in 2020 after appearing on Terrace House, a popular Japanese reality show about three men and three women temporarily living together at a shared house in Tokyo.
She became a target of hateful and vicious messages on social media after she was criticised for her performance in one of the episodes. Before her suicide, she tweeted that she received about 100 hateful messages every day and she was hurt by them.If you or anyone you know needs help: