Beer bottle beatings in sumo land

Sumo training is more that just being made to eat a vast quantity of pies daily. Back in June last year a young sumo wrestler died from beatings he received which were supposed to be part of his training. Most disturbingly, the instrument used to beat him the day before his death was, bizarrely, a beer bottle. On the day he died, according to the Japan Times, he was denied breakfast. The distressed trainee then ran away from the sumo stable only to be brought back by "kindly" local officers who found him in a local convenience shop. He received further beatings and was forced to engage senior wrestlers in bouts, all without having eaten the entire day.
This story reveals a really frightening side to sumo. The sumo stables are a closed world, so for all we know, this kind of nastiness might be common. The fact that the police brought this poor boy back to be beaten to death leaves a very unpleasant aftertaste. Bring back the pies.