crime

22-year-old mother arrested for strangling 9-day-old son

33 Comments

Police in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, said Friday they have arrested a 22-year-old woman on suspicion of killing her nine-day-old son.

According to police, Keiko Shinohara called 119 at around 9:20 a.m. Thursday and said she had strangled her baby boy at their apartment, Sankei Shimbun reported. The baby was rushed to hospital where he died about 90 minutes later.

Police said Shinohara told them she strangled her baby at around 8 a.m. because he wouldn't stop crying and she became irritated.

Shinohara’s husband had left for work at the time of the incident.

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33 Comments
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Police in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, said Friday they have arrested a 22-year-old woman on suspicion of killing her nine-day-old son

Police said Shinohara told them she strangled her baby at around 8 a.m. because he wouldn't stop crying and she became irritated.

What does she expect a 9 DAY OLD BABY to do? Draw up blueprints to the new space station? Trees and grass grows, tide comes in and out, the sun rises and sets, babies cry. Its natural! That poor baby. What is wrong with this world, man?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ReynardFox, “Did the three-month-old come at her with a knife or something?”

It’s often a struggle to understand what some people write and I try to make allowances for those who aren’t native speakers of English. But sometimes it’s just plain mystifying. How did a newborn who so sadly died at the age of nine days turn into a three-month-old?

Invalid CSRF

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Perhaps geneticists can create a baby that doesn’t cry. It would save a lot if lives.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Long drop for this gal, please.

Why? Will it make you feel better?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Japanese get 12 months paternity leave?

Unfortunately, here in Japan, work is a 12 months a year deal, and always takes precedence.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Smithinjapan et al

Please research post partum psychosis before passing judgement. It is not the baby blues. It's a medical emergency that can include symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, mania and confusion. Calls for capital punishment and asking whether she knew babies cry are missing the point completely.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Just leave the room and gain your composure....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I can understand people wanting to jump and blame PPD on this one, despite none of us knowing for a fact what happened and why. Still, even if it was PPD, it is no excuse for murder and she needs to be locked up. Did she not understand babies cry? I know that society needs to do more to help, especially single-parent families (not the case here, I know), but there ARE places you can reach out to if you are having such feelings, and why this woman couldn't read out when others do, and not murder their children, is why she needs to go to prison, or at least a mental institution.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Surprised that husband was at work. Japanese get 12 months paternity leave? What daily assistance was this woman getting? It was very likely Post Partum Depression. It is common. I have had 4 children. I saw it every time. Looking after a new kid is a 2 person job.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Those who quickly blurt out 'death penalty' should reassess why. There are better, more useful ideas than to want to cause death as an immediate reaction and the idea it will solve and make better the problem is ludicrous. The lack of empathy is scary, and it indicates a violent nature to individuals who promote the idea of killing someone, regardless of the reason, so easily.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Can i wake up with some good news sometime? 

No news is good news.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

usually wives have their mothers/mother in law help out for the first couple months but seeing she was alone, her attitude was probably played off by the husband.

Woman kills infant - probably husband's fault, because of course it is. Here's an idea - how about we blame the mother or mother in law which weren't there?

Or, get this - we could blame the woman who's actually directly responsible for strangling the infant with her own two hands. Crazy concept, I know.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

As do those who repeatedly wish a violent end to women

The death penalty advocates here don’t tend to discriminate based on gender. I’m pretty sure they’d say the same if the father did it.

I disagree with them, but they tend to be pretty consistent.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Does anyone have read about post birth mental disorders? My wife once saw our baby boy doesn't have his head anymore. How creapy is that? Being a mom is a unique thing a man never can experience. There needs to be some family arround in these hard times. Thats how we were. Unfortunately modern society is more isolated. Things like this could happen. Sorry for the baby.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Long drop for this gal, please.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Postpartum psychosis is one of the leading causes of the murder of children less than one year of age, which occurs in about 8 per 100,000 births in the United States.

This is a horrible thing, but calls for the death penalty are way out of bounds here.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

"Death penalty by hanging.

Nothing more needs to be said."

Yes oldman, the state killing a 22 year old woman will make everything ok, that'll even up the score.

Great idea.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Horrible. Can't begin to imagine what extreme mental state must have been like? Post natal depression?

For her own good she needs the death penalty or life in prison. She’s just going to do it again, if her life ends then several more lives will be saved.

She needs help.

As do those who repeatedly wish a violent end to women, especially sick Japanese women.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Seeing how mental illnesses are kept quiet due to saving face or just not talked about, she has to be suffering from postpartum depression and was trying her best alone.

So you are assuming she had a mental illness? We don't know that yet.

usually wives have their mothers/mother in law help out for the first couple months but seeing she was alone, her attitude was probably played off by the husband.

And now you are assuming the husband was at fault? All we know is he went to work, which many including me would do 9 days after the baby was born. My wife had nobody to help out during the day but I didn't come home to a dead baby.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

The poor woman was most certainly exhausted and completely overwhelmed.she had a breakdown

That's no excuse for strangling an infant! If you're that susceptible to murderous 'breakdowns', maybe having a child is a bad idea.

there is more to this story than what is being told for anyone

What 'other side of the story' could possibly excuse this? Did the three-month-old come at her with a knife or something? This isn't like that case a while back where that mother killed her child and tried to kill herself to escape her abusive husband. It's not right, but you can almost see the train of thought. This woman outright admitted that she killed her child because its crying aggravated her. I'm not sure there's any context in the world that's going to make her look any rosier.

Apart from the child, I feel horrible for the husband. To come home and find out your wife strangled your child because she was 'irritated'...I can't imagine the pain.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

Likely acute post partum depression.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Seeing how mental illnesses are kept quiet due to saving face or just not talked about, she has to be suffering from postpartum depression and was trying her best alone.

usually wives have their mothers/mother in law help out for the first couple months but seeing she was alone, her attitude was probably played off by the husband.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Anyone who makes idiotic statements like calling for the death penalty has never had kids.

The poor woman was most certainly exhausted and completely overwhelmed.she had a breakdown

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

22 is a bit young for having a child..

Death penalty by hanging. 

Nothing more needs to be said.

That's a bit harsh. She's barely an adult.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

No to death penalty, there is more to this story than what is being told for anyone to make rash death comments. Find out the full story then let the courts decide what is best justice served.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

I have no words for this....not an adjective to describe the situation...Rest in Peace little angel

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This is just tragic! RIP little one! I can not imagine the pain this young mother will go thru once she realize the enormity of her crime.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Police said Shinohara told them she strangled her baby at around 8 a.m. because he wouldn't stop crying and she became irritated.

What?? She gets irritated by a baby crying, and to top if off her own baby? Speechless

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Death penalty by hanging.

Yes, because another killing is going to bring the baby back.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Death penalty by hanging.

Nothing more needs to be said.

-9 ( +8 / -17 )

Can i wake up with some good news sometime? What a tragedy.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

What did she expect from a baby?, zero tolerance to frustrations and lack of anger management is what leads to these heinous crimes.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

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