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72-year-old woman arrested for killing bedridden son

13 Comments

Police in Higashiyamato, Tokyo, on Saturday arrested a 72-year-old woman for killing her 54-year-old bedridden son.

According to police, the woman, identified as Keiko Ikeda strangled to death her son on Friday night. NTV reported that at about 11 p.m., Ikeda called 110 to say that she had killed her son.

Police rushed to the scene and found the son lying in bed with a scarf pulled tightly around his neck. He was taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Ikeda was quoted by police as saying she had become worn out from looking after her son who had been bedridden for the past three years, NTV reported.

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13 Comments
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Sadly, many folks in her situation would rather be in jail, where they can finally be in "peace" than be chained to taking care of a relative.

I'm sure she's thought about doing this for a long, long time.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Considering they hardly ever perform autopsies in Japan, she could have gotten away with it if she had removed the scarf. Kinda dumb.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

No judge in Japan will ever jail this woman.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ah onagagamo: that is the difference between the criminal mind and the mind of the innocent.

she feels she needs to be punished, she killed her son, yet her son had lost the life he had 3 years before and became bedridden, and without other family it was up to the mother to care for him.

Mothers do not want to outlive children, and they do not wish to have healthier lives, all her hopes disappeared and she felt locked into one course.

such a shame

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Probably mercy killing. I know an old friend who got terminally ill and his wife killed him then herself.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I myself stage IV pancreatic cancer patient and my only daughter is disabled due to mental illness. My wife is a stroke patient. Both of us worry about our only child and not about h our health. We sympthise with this lady.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

captainjohannDec. 14, 2014 - 03:00PM JST

I myself stage IV pancreatic cancer patient and my only daughter is disabled due to mental illness. My wife is a stroke patient. Both of us worry about our only child and not about h our health. We sympthise with this lady.

May god bless all of you and I wish you recover soon ...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The thought of killing my son make me weep, so she must have been at her whits end, she must be physically or mentally exhausted to do this, poor woman.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

This woman needed some help with caring for her son, unfortunately there wasn't anyone to help.

The health care in this country is to blame for this woman and her plight, surely there must be some help ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The health care in this country is to blame for this woman and her plight, surely there must be some help ?

It's not only Japan, unfortunately. In fact, I'd say that the US is much, much worse on this front. If you don't have the right insurance, you can be kicked out of a hospital or nursing home even when you still have MAJOR medical issues, such as infected wounds, pneumonia, etc. and they won't even give it a thought! Women are kicked out of the hospital the day after (sometimes THE day) childbirth.

Nursing homes here cost on average around $8,000 per month and up to $12,000 per month for a decent one. All you really get for that is a shared (two bed, not private) room in which you get a crappy TV, and nurses to bring you 3 crappy meals a day, and administer your medicines. How in the world can that be worth any more than $1,000 per month? These homes are almost all FOR PROFIT and there are no regulations on what they are allowed to charge. Even an ambulance ride can end up costing upwards of $1,500 WITH insurance!

Since most people struggle to earn $3-4,000 per month clear of taxes, how in the world could they afford a nursing home especially in retirement, without becoming a huge burden on their children? They would most likely have to take out a loan just to pay for their parent's nursing care, as insurance does NOT pay for that.

As the other readers mentioned, this poor mother was probably at the end of her rope and dealing with the caretaking of her son all alone, without any help. Since the bedridden can't do for themselves (and sometimes develop dementia) they don't refrain from calling out and some cases screaming for help 24/7, which can lead the caretaker to exhaustion and depression. Poor mom here must have been despondent and seen no other way out.

How society can expect a single person (or even a family where one or both members are working) to perform the caretaking of a bedridden individual is beyond me. Many times, the afflicted simply have had an accident or turn for the worse health-wise and aren't at fault for their condition.

We have no issue spending society's resources on incarcerating criminals, and giving them free healthcare, meals, and free (albeit spartan) accommodations. So why do we have such a distaste for helping the innocent (caretakers and their charges) but feel a duty to protect felons?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Considering they hardly ever perform autopsies in Japan, she could have gotten away with it if she had removed the scarf. Kinda dumb.

Excuse me? This is not true at all. I can tell you from experience that they do perform them quite often, just because YOU may not have heard about it does not mean they dont happen.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I can’t believe she can killing her son because she is 72 years old I on this I don’t think she have enough power to do that but she did. It is made me surprised when I read this news. I don’t know why she did that but I am sure she is very sad and regret about what was she did. And I can’t believe how a mother can killing her son because almost of mother love her children and always forgive how bad her children.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Give her a medal.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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