The Saitama District Court has sentenced a 56-year-old woman to 13 years in prison for her part in fatally abusing a five-year-old boy at a house in Honjo, Saitama Prefecture, in January 2022.
According to the ruling on Friday, Yoko Ishii, her common-law husband, Hiroki Niwa, 36, and Niwa’s friend, Chika Kakimoto, 31, fatally abused Kakimoto’s eldest son Ayumu (then 5) by flinging him about the room at the home where they all lived, Kyodo News reported. Ayumu died and was buried under the floorboards of their house.
When an employee of Ayumu's daycare facility visited the home to find out why he hadn't been coming since early January, Kakimoto said she had sent him to live with relatives in Osaka.
His body was found in March 2022 after the ward office contacted police to express concern over the child’s well-being. Police arrested Kakimoto, Niwa and Ishii.
Kakimoto, who is a single mother, and Ayumu moved into the house belonging to Ishii and Niwa in January 2021.
Prosecutors said the child abuse was “habitual and vicious” as it was committed under the guise of “discipline.”
Kakimoto’s defense counsel pleaded extenuating circumstances, saying she had become financially dependent on Ishii and could not go against her. Niwa’s defense lawyer pointed out that “Ishii was the lead conspirator."
In earlier trials, Niwa was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Kakimoto was handed a 10-year sentence.
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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garypen
Okay then. 50 years in prison, with no chance of parole. Simple.
Martimurano
I hope they have a review system, which would flag-up an over-lenient sentencing in this case - it can't be the case that these sadistic killers can escape with nothing less than full-life imprisonment.
In any case, who the hell would want these vermin to be free to walk the streets again, and possibly commit more crimes.
Also, it would have been informative if the article could enlighten us all, as regards what legal arguments were aired that lead to the charges "fatally abusing" against the defendants rather then murder. Most people would imagine that by flinging a 5-year old child around a room many times would be classed as murder.
Chico3
This woman only got 13 years? That's a joke. Life in prison would have been a better sentence. As I recall, another woman got life. What makes this case any different?
u_s__reamer
I would have added 10 more years, yet I wonder how the personal histories of the perpetrators made them so unthinkingly callous and cruel. Maybe they were also abused as children?
wallace
Life in prison is the penalty before the death penalty. A woman last week was given life in prison for murder.
NOMINATION
It does exist.
Nihon Tora
For cases like this, the punishment should not be about rehabilitation, it should be about retribution and sending a clear message that society does not tolerate this behavior. These people should be spending the remainder of their lives in prison. To hell with trying to turn them into functioning citizens.
John
It looks like court forgot give a medal of ideal citizen for the killer. It’s disgusting to give only 13 year sentence for killing a child in this manner.
starpunk
People just don't give a damn about their children.
13 years isn't nearly enough for this (unprintable epithet). She is disgusting and abhorrent to the max.
opheliajadefeldt
I am not sure what species of life these creatures are, but they are certainly do not belong to any animal one. I cannot even imagine what that poor little child went through, it was to disturbing just reading of it. And given what I have read about Japanese prisons and watching a documentary on them, they will be kept in very good, clean, cells,and fed 3 good meals a day. We can but hope karma pays them a visit.
Jind
Sentences should have been life in prison for such horrible crimes and murder of a child.
piskian
These are not people.
chotto_2
TWELVE years for essentially murdering a 5-year old?
Japan's 'Justice' system is an absolute joke. You'd almost get as muich if you robbed a convenience store.
Weak. Weak. Weak.
They deserve to rot in a cell until they die.
Hello Kitty 321
All these people calling for life imprisonment don't seem to realize that this punishment does not exist in Japanese law.
itsonlyrocknroll
13 years?
That is not justice for such a despicable crime.
A 5 year old child, miserable short life at the hands of three sadistic child killers.
Its reading such heinous crimes, the horror disgust, evokes calls for capital punishment.
NOMINATION
Crimes against kids here tend to get light sentences. Rarely have I seen life sentences.
Aly Rustom
10, 12, and 13 years for the murder of a 5 year old?? They should be given life. Because that's what they took.
kurisupisu
Surely tossing a child around can only result in death?
Wasn’t this murder?
William77
Only 13 and 10 years for such a horrible crime?
I can’t understand how the justice system works in this country.
falseflagsteve
Where I come from these people are called beasts and their time in prison wouldn’t be nice. Other people would seek out justice in a violent way for that poor little boy.
Trader Jones
A five year old child - How do these people exist? If humans are considered civilized with this crazy crap and worse happening around the world, then maybe we need to reconsider the definition of civility.
Lindsay
This takes all the enjoyment out of my morning coffee. Poor kid.
runner3
These people are trash.