TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhuanet)-- An 11-year-old Japanese girl killed Tuesday her classmate at a school in southern Japan.

    The dead pupil, 12, was slashed in her neck with a knife at about lunch hour at the elementary school in Sasebo City, NagasakiPrefecture, police said. She died on the scene.

    The police have put the suspect into custody and are investigating the incident.

    The victim has been identified as the daughter of Kyoji Mitarai,head of the major daily Mainichi Shimbun's Sasebo bureau.

    The killing shocked Japan and hit news reports in all major broadcasters.

    Serious crimes committed by juniors were drawing growing concerns in Japan. There were 15 murder cases involving elementaryschool students over the past 15 years, according to the police.

    A four-year-old boy was pushed down from an eight-storey parking lot building last July in the same prefecture. The perpetrator was found to be a 14-year-old middle school student who reportedly said the killing was purely out of mischief. Enditem