A day after the former master of the Tokitsukaze sumo stable and three of his disciples were arrested, the father of the 17-year-old novice they allegedly beat to death said Friday that he was relieved the four were finally in custody.
"It did take a long time and I was very worried, but now I'm grateful that the arrests were finally made," said Masato Saito, 51. "I think my son was a bit relieved also," he said, referring to Takashi Saito, who went by the ring name Tokitaizan.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Saito's lawyer, Retsu Tomita, said he also intended to file for damages against the former stable master, Junichi Yamamoto, 57, and three senior wrestlers who allegedly assaulted the teen on Yamamoto's instructions.