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Police in Kumamoto City have arrested a 73-year-old man on suspicion of killing his sick 74-year-old wife.
According to police, the suspect, Hiromi Iwamoto, called 119 at around 11 a.m. Saturday to say that he had strangled his wife with a towel, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police rushed to the apartment and found Iwamoto's wife, Yae, unconscious in the living room. She was taken to hospital where she died a short time later.
Police said Iwamoto has admitted to killing his wife and quoted him as saying he was worn out from looking after her.
Police said the couple had moved into the apartment after their house was destroyed in last year's earthquake. Iwamoto said the stress of having to relocate after the quake made his wife's condition worse.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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Aaron Brummett
He should have just went with carboxide poisoning. Painless. I can no judge him. Taking care of a sick person is very hard.
Disillusioned
Wow! An interestingly naive statement from someone calling themselves, 'sensei'. I wonder how you would fair if you became a full time carer of your ailing spouse for over a decade or more. I'm pretty sure your naivety and lack of empathy would make you a murderer pretty quickly.
sensei258
BS. The government didn't wrap a towel around her neck and choke the life out of a defenseless old woman
100 CPM
@ Disillusioned "This scenario repeats itself way too often in Japan. "
thats right.
sensei258
Apparently many of the readers feel it's okay to kill people when they get old and infirm. I'd like to know what they think when it's their time.
sandiegoluv
So very sad. The system really needs to change. It angers me to see things like this. I know a nurse who goes house to house taking care of people like this. She told me that the families are often just worn out from taking care of their mentally/physically family members. And it is way too much stress for one individual to deal with. If you are going to be so critical of this man, try spending some time in his shoes. I promise you will change your mind. I am not condoning his actions. But I can understand them. The system is what needs to be condemned and changed.
John S. Whitford
so very sad
Disillusioned
This scenario repeats itself way too often in Japan. You should have pity for the old man, who became so desperate he felt the only way out was to kill her. Any anger or disgust you may have should be directed at the government and their inadequate levels of aged care and lack of action to change it.
GW
Even without the disaster that forced them to move this incident will only increase& increase as the elderly population increases, sadly its obvious the countries ""solution"" is to do next to nothing...
So as I often ask, you wanna grow old here this IS our future!
Rosemary Aud Franklin
A desperate act......I am sorry for both.
sensei258
Another old guy will get away with murder.
mitoguitarman
Pitiful social security net in Japan