crime

82-year-old woman arrested for hitting crying 3-year-old girl at shopping center

49 Comments

Police in Nara City on Saturday arrested an 82-year-old woman after she hit a 3-year-old girl at a shopping center because she was crying.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 1:45 p.m. at the entrance to the mall, Sankei Shimbun reported. The girl was at the shopping center with her mother. The girl started crying, and while her mother was trying to calm her down, the suspect came from behind them and hit the child’s head once. She told the mother her daughter was making too much noise and that she should quieten her down.

Police said the child was not injured.

The woman went into a store to do some shopping. The girl’s mother asked a store employee to call the police and when the woman left the shopping center, she was later detained by police.

Police said the woman told them she did not know the mother or her child.

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49 Comments
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she should be charged with assault and the parents should sue for her everything she has.

2 ( +29 / -27 )

Japanese Seniors that aged in Bubble Era are giant babies that are ill mannered. They have sense of entitlement and superiority over others. Unfortunately unlike the North America, Japan doesnt really have mechanism to correct bad behavior. Everything is just supposed to work. Attarimai... But no in Japan it is very hard to sue which can also be bad thing. balance is needed. Not too much and Not too little.

19 ( +27 / -8 )

In Japan old people think they can touch your child. I often am instructing people to not photograph or touch the children.

Its a silly entitled thing from the past.

11 ( +22 / -11 )

Japanese Seniors that aged in Bubble Era are giant babies that are ill mannered.

A common held myth held by foreigners who would otherwise be horrified at a generalization of just about any other demographic or identity group.

I'm not aware of a crime wave of elderly Japanese hitting the children of strangers. Maybe give your head a shake before equating the bad behavior of 1 woman to 36 million others.

4 ( +27 / -23 )

In Japan old people think they can touch your child. I often am instructing people to not photograph or touch the children.

They don't.

Its a silly entitled thing from the past.

Its not.

-11 ( +15 / -26 )

Hey Bob settle down. I’m not childless but my first and probably my main thought would be for the police to charge the offender not for me to sue.

A lot of suing going on in the States by the sounds of it, way more than anywhere else.

10 ( +18 / -8 )

Comments & opinions can also be based on someone’s ‘subjective experience’, @bob 4:42p, so we’re told.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I don’t mean any disrespect by this but I’ve noticed elderly people in Japan don’t give a crap about other people or the law. I always see them running red lights, crossing the road when there are cars, cutting in at the store and looking at you as if you must allow them to cut in. When I hear news like this it really frustrates me. The lady is probably thinking she’s done nothing wrong.

20 ( +23 / -3 )

Agreed @thepersoniamnow 4:37pm. -

- “often am instructing people to not photograph or touch the children.” -

Especially, those jiji-razzi” with their multitude of cameras and lenses at every park and outdoor event that don’t even consider asking to take a photo of children. Not focused on the scenery or the multitude of people but on the children - creepy.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Especially, those jiji-razzi” with their multitude of cameras and lenses at every park and outdoor event that don’t even consider asking to take a photo of children.

Every park and outdoor event!

I also heard that late at night, when kids are sleeping, those horrible "jijirazi" crumble the photos into a special potion to make the children have nightmares!

Swear to god.

-14 ( +9 / -23 )

That is weird. I think arresting the old lady is pretty severe.

I have a 3 year old daughter myself.

82 year old lady or not, if she ever tried that on mine then the police taking her into custody would be her safest option.

19 ( +25 / -6 )

What weird behaviour. I think the mother was right to call the police. No need to throw her in the dungeon, but that old lady needs a reminder that this behaviour is not OK.

23 ( +26 / -3 )

Crazy old bag

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Agreed

1 ( +4 / -3 )

That is weird. I think arresting the old lady is pretty severe.

That would be rather reckless not to arrest her.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

@bob

In Japan old people think they can touch your child. I often am instructing people to not photograph or touch the children.

They don't.

I am just curious do you actually have any children? Also do you live in Japan? Are your children pure Japanese?

The reason I ask is perhaps it is just cute mixed kids that get all the attention as I have had many strangers coming up and talking to my kids over the years trying to take photos etc although I must say it is not just elderly Japanese that do this.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

James and Bob

I am Japanese, and I do not have children, but I a childcare professional own my own related business.

I am also mixed like your kidz, but I think equating this issue to half kidz cuteness has nothing to do with it. Theres cuties everywhere right? And it happens to all kidz here.

Of course I dont equate this to only Japanese or elderly Japanese behavior. But I have noticed in Japan that old people will come right up to and speak to, or even instruct children. When I was a teacher, I would take children on outings and I would often be asking old people to not touch or give any instructions to my students.

They think they are passing on knowledge, but they seem slow and frail minded to me, and I am responsible for everyones safety.

In the USA or Europe its quite a risky thing to do, admonish someone else’s child...Here I see more people just accepting it and smiling since the person is an elder.

If anyone else comes up and touches and speaks to your child, it would usually get your attention.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

Thepersoniamnow

In the USA or Europe its quite a risky thing to do, admonish someone else’s child...Here I see more people just accepting it and smiling since the person is an elder.

She hit the child. That is worse than admonishing. In addition, the child is only 3.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Apparently, @thepersoniamnow & @james, bob’s solitary @4:53pm “ - ” vote indicates all of our “subjective” experiences are ‘not valid’ to the issue at hand and is contrary to their need to critique Every word from every commenter. However, most would agree with both of your individual, personal experiences and observations:

“although I must say it is not just elderly Japanese that do this.” [And,] -“Of course I dont equate this to only Japanese or elderly Japanese behavior.”

It’s just elderly behavior that’s no longer socially accepted in most developed countries. Our comments are not an assault on past Japanese cultural mores. The African proverb “It takes a village ...” (and it’s Japanese equivalent) is not safe nor realistic here in a society where many aspects of pedophelia and child exploitation are prevalent and still tolerated.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I hope she gets done for child assault!

0 ( +6 / -6 )

I think its weird how parents dont control or discipline their children any more these days , and when some one else does they get offended ..................................wake up you woke idiots.

If you let your brats scream and have tantrums in public then obviously you havent done your parenting properly at home have you ?

We have all felt like telling the dopey parents to shut the screaming brat up havent we?

But hey, if some one else walked over and slapped my child I'd be surprised as hell.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

Control your screamin self entitled brat in public, why does everyone else have to put up with your lack of discipline in a public place?

But slap my child I'll knock you out, but you know what, you wouldnt have to slap my child because they are well disciplined and have respect !

4 ( +12 / -8 )

I think its weird how parents dont control or discipline their children any more these days , and when some one else does they get offended ..................................wake up you woke idiots.

I think it’s weird how there are still idiots out there who don’t understand that 3 year olds sometimes cry because that is what 3 years do.

If you let your brats scream and have tantrums in public then obviously you havent done your parenting properly at home have you ?

Again, clearly you know nothing about children or parenting, do you?

We have all felt like telling the dopey parents to shut the screaming brat up havent we?

No, because I’m not a self entitled a-hole who thinks the world revolves around me.

But hey, if some one else walked over and slapped my child I'd be surprised as hell.

You don’t have a child.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

RecklessToday  04:17 pm JST

That is weird. I think arresting the old lady is pretty severe.

If someone hit one of my daughters, the police would be arresting me on quite serious charges.... Because at no point does an adult have the right to hit a child!

4 ( +8 / -4 )

World is dangerous from both sides.

This new generation, you shouldn't touch even if you have to help. Best to ignore.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Lock up the old bag for a night, and tell her when she ultimately complains that she is making too much noise. Honestly, these entitled old fogeys should be THANKING the mother, because it is her, and her child, that stand between a Japan with a future and one with none at all. Kudos to the mom for having the patience not to knock the old bat down, and also not to just let it go. I hope the old woman spends said night in the klink, but also has to pay a few man yen in compensation, plus get some kind of probationary discipline wherein if she ever repeats the action she will go to prison for a good length of time.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Well....Because little children aren't afraid of their mothers, it's often out of control.

In particular, it really gets embarrassing if that happens in a public place.

I sometimes secretly ask an adult next to me to scold my child when my child cries out to buy everything he wants at the shopping mall.

Curiously, the child who was crying pretending not to know no matter how hard I sootheed, becomes quiet immediately when an unknown adult scolds.

It's a different case, but if I can't control my child's crying, I don't think I'll go to the police and report that the old man next to him was noisy and hit him in the head once.

I wonder how hard the old man hit the child.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Dave

Nobody here was there are know the condition of the old person, people here are very quick to jump on the elderly on everything

Not me at least. I am not young myself, but I can not excuse hitting another persons child, let alone a 3 year old. Let me see... if it was a 17 year old boy she slapped, I would cut her a little slack. But somehow I think the obatarian would not do that.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Un Japanese , Just doesn't add up!!!!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

And you clearly don't realize there are other ways of raising children - ways that don't involve indulging screaming and other poor behavior.

Oh wow, I’m sorry, could you please point me to where I can learn more about this secret way of parenting children which ensures that three year olds never cry in public? I am simply amazed to learn that such a thing exists and I can assure you that all of us with actual parenting experience are very interested in learning more about this magical new method which only people who don’t have kids seem to know about.

Please tell us more, wise one, that we may mend our ways and ensure that no three year old ever cries in public again despite the fact that until now medical science was of the (obviously mistaken) view that they hadn’t yet developed the cognitive, communicative or emotional skills necessary to regulate their emotional state. Obviously when I am shopping and my 3 year old starts crying because she is tired, or I didn’t buy her what she wanted, or because she fell down and bumped her head this is entirely attributable to my irresponsible indulgence and not because every 3 year old in human history has done that.

You seriously gotta spread the word about this to every mom you see on the street, my man, it’s pure gold.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Smak someone’s kid outside of Japan…and watch what happens to you…

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Past? Meet the Future! Hope you two can get along...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

child without a mask

Please point to the part of the article where it said the child didn't have a mask.

I think its weird how parents don't control or discipline their children any more these days

"The girl started crying, and while her mother was trying to calm her down, the suspect came from behind them and hit the child’s head once."

@Bjorn. From this comment and others you've made, I understand that reading comprehension is not your strong suit, but c'mon. It says, in the fourth sentence of the article, that the mother was trying to stop the child from crying when some random lady walked up and hit a kid that wasn't hers.

Nobody here was there are know the condition of the old person, people here are very quick to jump on the elderly on everything

"very quick to jump on the elderly on everything" is a very strange way to spell "hold the elderly responsible for their actions".

If her 'condition' is so deteriorated that she is incapable of hearing a crying child without reacting with violence, then maybe she ought not be allowed out in public. There is never a call to his a child, especially a random child in a shopping mall.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sure it's subjective but plenty of old people in Japan have put their hands on my daughter, especially when she was a baby.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The 82 year old needs to be assessed for the onset of dementia...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I have a 3 year old daughter myself.

Same

82 year old lady or not, if she ever tried that on mine then the police taking her into custody would be her safest option.

Same.

Someone hits my child, that person will receive the same treatment.

That's 3 in a row.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Good. Happy to hear she was arrested.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Its what babies do! They cry! Does this old bag think babies have designated places to cry or throw a tantrum?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think the distinct lack respect for a three year old being shown here by some of the posters is absolutely disgusting to be honest.

You have no idea if the child was hot, tired, hungry or whatever. You just cast assumptions that it was a ‘screaming brat’. Three year olds don’t have to respect anything. They’re THREE!

Being brutally honest, some of you that post here as so quick to jump on fathers and mothers that throw their kids to the floor, or hit them ‘because they wouldn’t stop crying’. Rightly so. They’re monsters. However, you willing to overlook an old woman hitting a three year old about the head. Why? Double standards. Because she’s old, she must be right? The kid was bad? If the child sustained injuries, what would you say then? Change your tune methinks.

Abuse is abuse. If that were my son, damn straight I would have her arrested.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

sir_bentley

Its what babies do! They cry! Does this old bag think babies have designated places to cry or throw a tantrum?

Minor correction: A 3-year old is not a "baby".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Lisa

You let an old man smack your child?

You watched with amusement?

If I were you, I would not have failed my child in that way. He or she should know that you (the parent) will defend them and have their back. The old man was wrong to HIT!

You speak to people and show respect and make requests, not strike out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Its what babies do! They cry! Does this old bag think babies have designated places to cry or throw a tantrum?

@Bjorn apparently does. As the father of a 6yo boy I would love to know his secret to preventing children from having little fits and crying.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Bjorn apparently does. As the father of a 6yo boy I would love to know his secret to preventing children from having little fits and crying.

Im gonna go out on a limb and guess Bjorn’s one of those "my parents hit me and I turned out ‘fine’" kind of parents.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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