Fatally abused 5-year-old girl wrote notes pleading with her mother, stepfather to stop beating her

I think this child is poor. Parents should take good care of their children.

This is nothing less than horrible. That this angel knew and experienced such a life is beyond description.

This kind of abuse of our children has to stop. As a people, not just as a culture, but as the human race! We need to work as one to protect these innocent angels from harm.

When in doubt, assume that there is no doubt! Report these signals and follow up.

Here in The US, Los Angeles area. An 8 year old boy was beaten, starved, tortured, and things that were inhumane.

At what point will this type of harm to the children end?!

talaraedokkoJune 8 11:15 pm JST

I’d love to know who Yua’s grandparents are, and what they’re like.

I suspect that in the step-father's case the apple hadn't fallen all that far from the tree. It could well be the case that he's lucky to be alive himself, although it's a pity that a car couldn't have run over him a few years ago.

As a rule, I am opposed to capital punishment.

But I genuinely find it difficult to find a valid argument against implementing it in the case of these inhuman monsters.

The best I can come up with is that the method used here - hanging - is quick.

I want these two dispatched with the same respect for human dignity as they showed for their beautiful, helpless girl.

I am prepared to oversee the operation if need be.

Balakrishnan GurumurtiJune 8 07:36 pm JST

send this couple to siberia kind place and let them face real nature on them like they made the poor girl face frost bites,

The idea of getting all medieval on them does sound awfully attractive. But it won't change anything. Before long we'll be reading about more semi-feral men-children doing exactly the same kinds of horrible things to their children or (just as likely) step-children no matter what happens to these two, because no lessons will have been learned. No one is reflecting seriously on or being held accountable for failures in the system, no changes are being made to provide better protection for at risk children, and no one in authority seems to want to know what would turn this Funato individual into such a sadistic, inhuman fiend. I suspect they know already but find the truth too unpleasant to face up to.

I bet the mother was forced to choose between the daughter - and being a single parent - and having a killer husband. She chose the latter. I’d love to know who Yua’s grandparents are, and what they’re like. They couldn’t intervene? Too mendokusai for them?

Yua, RIP.

send this couple to siberia kind place and let them face real nature on them like they made the poor girl face frost bites, these persons are not human treat them so, so others like them plenty either correct themselves or be punished in siberian open climate. they don't deserve sympathy that is homeostatis all about.

Hard to read stuff like this. How can someone treat a child they gave birth to like that? The welfare authorities in Shinagawa failed that child.

Apparently, the dad made this girl set an alarm at wake up at 4am every morning to practice writing. I read an excerpt from her last message ever. It was heartbreaking. It read like it was written by an adult, not a five year old. It said something along the lines of 'mother, I promise I'll do my best to become a better person tomorrow than I was today, so please forgive me'. Even just typing that, I get a tear in my eye.

This poor girl, I'm so sad she's dead, but happy she's not living in hell anymore.

The new face of evil in Japan...or at least TODAY's Evil.

Shinagawa Ward Child Welfare Office has blood on their hands. They could have done much for to help this child.

Maybe, maybe not. They may be understaffed, under funded, or overburdened. Maybe the government or the law is at fault.

Something went wrong. We don't know yet exactly how it went wrong.

sad and sorry the girl suffered so much before life ended, the two do not deserve to live, if no time and heart for a kid, give out for adoption, not to treat her like a bean bag to take out your own anger and stress.

disgusting!

That's heartbreaking, poor child. RIP

A society like Japan who his population in regression , must protect their children from all forms of abusing. This news makes me sad especially come from a peaceful and civilized nation.

If Japan is concerned about declining population due to low childbirth then they better get serious about persecuting these and any other monsters before they kill any more innocent children. Shinagawa Ward Child Welfare Office has blood on their hands. They could have done much for to help this child.

Her death is a tragedy however, the real tragedy is the biological mother’s Participation In the stepfather’s abuse that let to her death. Her death should be treated as a homicide vice Child Abuse and her Journal should be introduced as proof of premeditation to Homicide.

Death is to good for these monsters. They need to be treated exactly like they treated the little girl. Then when they are about to die feed them and bring them back to health and start all over with the abuse again. Repeat the cycle a few times before letting them die.

These are all comments that have popped up in this thread:

The authorities knew about the abuse, but did nothing.

This tragedy, and a lot of others, could have been avoided if child protection services did their freaking job ! Every time it's the same thing, and nothing changes at all.

The fact that they were known to be a problem family and that the child was known to be violently abused shows how useless the authorities are here.

no one is even makes the slightest foray into dealing with domestic inequities.

...and more along this vein.

Well it more and more information is turning up. It turns out that the child was taken away from the parents in Kagawa, and when the girl was given back, they were checked on one to two times per week. The girl's weight was returning (she got up to 16kg), and she didn't have bruises on her anymore. The father moved to Shinagawa last year in November, and the mother and daughter went in January. The people in Kagawa called Shinagawa, and they also even went so far as to call the parents directly and ask why they weren't talking to the child protection people in Shinagawa.

It's not fair to have said that nothing was done, that the authorities did nothing, or that no one cared. There were people who cared, and did whatever they could, even when the family had moved out of their jurisdiction, and they couldn't really do anything. These people are probably laying in their beds at night now, staring at the ceiling, wondering if there wasn't even just one more thing they could have done, one more phone call they could have made, one more person they could have talked to. This story is heartbreaking to read - the people in Kagawa didn't just read it, they lived it, and did everything they could to stop it, and still weren't able to. There was a systematic failure here, somehow in Shinagawa-ku, and maybe as a result of the transfer from another prefecture. It needs to be fixed. But that does not mean that no one cared, nor that no one did anything to stop this. It's irresponsible to have claimed that before this was known, and it will be irresponsible to claim it after this, now that the information is known.

A weak woman and a coward man. Why punch a helpless child? If you're so strong why punch a child? It's so sad to hear about children getting killed. Whatever culture or country we are from, as a child we all yearned for one thing. Love. It's so sad to read about how the child stayed optimistic. Even when she was in so much pain.

When the family moved to Tokyo, Kagawa authorities notified a child welfare office in Shinagawa Ward. Representatives visited the Funatos' apartment on Feb 9 but Yua's mother wouldn't let them in.

Child Services no power

It's the same way in America. Children are used as commodities - they get physical comforts maybe and their lives are set up for them but there is no emotional support and no LOVE. And some children never get to develop as individuals, some never get to learn anything of value about themselves or this world or life, some never get to grow up or even fall in love. And you have the brutally savage families that KILL children and nothing gets done or no one hears them until it's too late. Happens every day and it's sad.

'Keep On Rockin' In the Free World' - NEIL YOUNG   1989

I would happily assume the duties of executioner if I could. I'd make it a nice, slow, painful death for both of them.

Death Penalty for both...and they can then apologise to the little girl themselves for taking her life away from her...before heading off to an eternity in whatever purgatory exists! In case they are Buddhism may they both return in their next lives as fecal eating worms! However even this seems too lenient! I apologise if my post is a bit harsh but their actions are simply inhuman on every single level and their can be no redemption in the case of murdering a poor defenceless child!

Yes, Japan has it's Child abusers too.

you should need a license to have kids because some people just are not fit to procreate

I could not agree more. Just because you can procreate, doesn't mean you should.

I'll get the rope, someone bring the pitchforks.

Is advocating barbaric violence the only response towards barbaric violence?

People come in many forms. Unfortunately, some people are barbaric, and fear no other form of justice. The stepfather had already been arrested on two occasions, the mother had been questioned by police, and had twice lost custody of her daughter. How many arrests, how many visits by social workers and police does it take before you begin to understand that you are doing something wrong?

You cannot use reason with people too primitive to comprehend it. Punishment is meant to cause pain, the pain of captivity, the pain of paying a large fine, the pain of shame. Some people have no fear of captivity, and no sense of shame. A barbaric act committed by a barbaric person deserves a barbaric form of punishment. Two wrongs do not make a right, but can still satisfy justice, which the victim and society require.

Speechless! What horrific story... poor child!

Once again, tell me, what is the excuse for abusing a child to the point of death?

There is no excuse and nobody can condone their actions towards the innocent child.

I feel the same way about when children lose their lives anywhere in the world. Be at the hands of individuals or armies.

Anyone who can come on here after reading that little girl's letter and actually spend their time berating other posters about "barbaric comments" towards two monsters is just heartless.

I read the letter, thanks. And it's heartbreaking. But violence begets violence and there's a distinction between emotive responses and people advocating vengeance, violence and murder by proxy.

It's not helpful and won't bring back the victim.

I'm loathe to bring in personal experience and any details of my own life and those I know and love but let me assure you, brutal retaliation solves nothing.

It’s taken me nearly all day to control my emotions enough to make some kind of rational comment on this disgusting act of cruelty. However, all of the acts of cruelty they are guilty of are quite common in Japanese homes. I know many Japanese people who tell me their parents locked them on the balcony. There has also been quite a few recent cases in the news of parents doing the same. Physical abuse like hitting, punching, kicking is also very common. I’ve seen it many times at train stations on trains and in restaurants. One can only imagine what kinds of physical abuse the kids are subjected to behind closed doors. The starvation thing, there have been three children starved to death just in the last two months.

There is a deep seated, malicious and cowardly sub-culture in Japan that seems to be raising its head more and more often. The statistics of child abuse have been increasing over the last decade or so. Most statitoons believe it is because more cases are being reported. However, with frequent incidents similar to this one you have to conclude it is not the reports increasing. It is the actually acts of child abuse being more frequent and much more sadistic.

The face of evil.

This is exactly where Japan becomes a very ugly country..... watch TV, no one is even makes the slightest foray into dealing with domestic inequities. Yes, other countries have problems, but they are doing their best to address them. Japan.... the shame is in that no one wants to admit or address the quiet violence inside of many seemingly happy homes. Too many idiot men that think their children are punching bags. A country where divorce is a shame but still so many women divorce.... mainly to protect their children. Too many Japanese men are living in a world that just is not of this era... or any good era. You can blame society and the Japanese Govt too.... they have created a country where very capable men are relegated to meaningless jobs that only frustrate them. Scratch the damn surface people! If you've just been here for a year to maybe five years..... you might not see below the surface... so you "guppies"..... damatte and learn.

Good lord.....someone has to pay! RIP little one! hopefully theyll pay with an air dance at the end of a rope

I think someone asked why nobody noticed Yua was abused.

https://news.biglobe.ne.jp/domestic/0607/mai_180607_0899655118.html

According to this article, the mother moved to Tokyo with her and her son at beginning of january, and the step-father joined them on the 23rd. Neighbours came to say hello, and that the only time they saw Yua. She wasn't sent to nursery school or kindergaten, and she never went outside all this time.

All I can do is echo the disgust, revulsion and anger expressed above... RIP little Yua...

Both of Em' Should Die!!!

This type of thing goes on all too often in other parts of the World, and now Japan too.

Why wasn't this picked up by the local Ward office, or the Child day care center, or even neighbors - surely seeing a Kid on a Balcony in the middle of winter at night must be a cause for concern ?

As for the Parents, we can wish bad things upon them such as:

Bury each alive in a coffin, filled with maggots, with only a small pipe for air and let them by eaten alive and rot. to Hell

Though we cant do that, as we are supposedly living in a Civilized Society, though hanging would be too good for them.

The fact that they were known to be a problem family and that the child was known to be violently abused shows how useless the authorities are here.

Well, it definitely exposes a problem. It may be a problem with the law however, not with the people who have to work within the limits of the law (ie - everyone).

In a just world they would be tortured, beaten, made to suffer as she did, and then put to death.

@Micke Kuwahara

Post of the month, if not the year.

Funato was arrested on March 3 for abusing Yua by punching her in the face. 

The fact that they were known to be a problem family and that the child was known to be violently abused shows how useless the authorities are here.

The Funato’s also have a son together. I hope he will be well taken care of by others.

Poor kid. Now that Yua is gone, he's the victim. He's got an uphill battle in life ahead of him already.

I hope these "parents" spend the rest of their lives behind bars. This is so tragic that it makes me physically ill. But as others have pointed out, for these adults to have arrived at the point where they did these things, they obviously went through their own hells. It is just unfortunate that they could not step back from them long enough to stop this horrific situation from ever starting.

I do understand peoples emotions of hate towards these abusers and the call for cruel punishments... but I would much more like to study these two people closely and other in similar cases, and instead of always hide behind the irrational and stupid concept of "Evil", figure out what went wrong, when and why. I am pretty sure we would learn some horrible things about ourselves and our society that many would prefer to close ones eyes against, but if we truly wish a better world, the solution is not to punish the evil outside, but to acknowledge the "evil" within and make something about that instead.

This isso sad and horrible. Her parents are scumbag MONSTERS.

May the little one be forever tended by the angels. and never remember the horrible things those two monsters did to her.

I'm waiting for the final crime in this case. The one in which these two receive lenient sentences because the judge agrees that they didn't intentionally kill her.

To the two idiots, rot and die slow in jail.

To the young one who went too soon, you're in a better place away from such monsters. I hope you come back in another life as the happiest person in the world. Those two didn't deserve to even know you. Rest in Peace.........

gaijinpapa I understand you very well, I had a child with a Japanese ex-girlfriend, she gave birth while I was back to my country, never been able to see that child of mine(reason I got we weren't married and her mother influence) and every time I go back to Japan and try to meet with her she runs away to another family member in another prefecture, I have tried many things legally and still nothing. When I have seen that news it just made my heart squeezed on itself and hope that my child is well cared.

Her words brought me tears, she was asking forgiveness because she was playing, c'mooon!!!

RIP little girl, many people are with you in thoughts...

And again, another case of J-males not accepting another mans child.

I am lost for words. Great sadness. RIP little angel. At least you are in the best place in the universe now without monster parents abusing you. Loving and caring angels will be with you forever. RIP.

People need to stop blaming this issue on the father not being the biological father. He was a scumbag, and deserves life in prison. The mother, who was her biological mother, was just as bad a scumbag for taking part. It is unfathomable that police did not arrest her until now, but it's good that they finally came to their senses. This woman needs to rot in prison for life as well. Allowing mothers like these and parents like these, biological or not, to go free or get off with minor sentences needs to stop; give them LIFE without parole if they harm a child and especially if it results in death.

Very sad indeed, Rest In Peace little girl.

It’s concerning that Police attended in February to check on her welfare but were not let in. What are their powers of entry in such situations? Surely child welfare would be sufficient justification?

Sickening pair! Just string them up and let them hang as quick as possible. No need to waste tax paying money for them to sit in prison.

Japanese children start learning to write at 6, when they enter elementary school. I wonder who taught the poor 5-year-old girl how to write? Surley not those two monsters?

As child killers, I hope these two evil specimens wake up every morning in prison filled with dread, anxiety and paranoia, wondering if today will be their last day.

I know it is really easy to point the finger at the mother and father, and I think thats what some who are responsible for this want.

But it is clear

The health care system failed this little girl (Frostbite!

The kindergarden failed ( if she was attending, surely someone could see something was wrong)

Local social services failed, by not following up and tracking this child or taking her into protective care.

Police and prosecutors failed, by not charging these parents with neglect, and taking her into protective care.

And finally, theJapanese politicians failed, because they did nothing time and time again. Sadly think we will see this again soon.

A national inquiry should be set up to find out why this preventable incident wasn't stopped earlier and recommendations made.

Breaks your heart.

@Aly Rustom

You nailed it mate!

Unfortunately !

@Simon Foston

We just don't know about the biological father in this case, but in Japan, it is not at all impossible, or rare, that a father be simply denied to visit his children.

http://www.internationalfamilylawfirm.com/2017/09/unenforceability-of-japanese-custody.html

Child custody orders are not enforced in Japan. There is merely a provision for a fine, but it is usually de minimis and rarely employed.  It does not impede a parent with physical possession of a child from denying the other parent access to the child.

When the family moved to Tokyo, Kagawa authorities notified a child welfare office in Shinagawa Ward. Representatives visited the Funatos' apartment on Feb 9 but Yua's mother wouldn't let them in.

Really????? A child is reported by officials to officials of being abused and the mother has the choice to let officials in or not?? Really??? And the government is wasting time on overwork laws that can be controlled by grown adults???

It is just as likely he was quite happy to leave his daughter with his ex-wife

Ok, so you put out a possibility, which you go on to then use as a reality:

which I am sure he is bitterly regretting now.

Maybe you should first confirm whether your possibility was correct, before casting theories on how the father may be feeling.

gaijinpapaToday  10:42 am JST

Somethings you won’t know until you experience them. And I hope you never do.

You said "imagine," not "know."

i was originally trying to make the point that the biological father might me suffering so much - and if you’d been trying to see your child for years and this happened it would be ..enough to make the man kill him self

If the biological father is not suffering terribly then he cannot be much better than the step-father. But we do not know enough about the family circumstances to suppose that he was denied access to his daughter. It is just as likely he was quite happy to leave his daughter with his ex-wife, which I am sure he is bitterly regretting now.

Like so many posters here- this story makes my blood boil. I hope they get what's coming to them in prison. I hope they suffer. They should be beaten and starved like they did to the little girl.

Bintaro- You nailed it mate!

zones2surf - agree with marcelito - lovely post.

Personally, I don't see how the mother can be condemned simply from the information in this article. There is no logical way that this article, written by a reporter who only had as much information as given, taking that Japanese information and writing an article in English, can be used to determine whether the mother was entirely complicit in her daughter's death, or was a vicitim of extreme domestic violence, with little to no ability whatsoever to stop it from happening.

This women's looks matches the character the crime she did. But why no picture of the main character, the man ?

OMG.

My heart literally sank when i read this. they both deserve to be crucified, drawn and quartered. That poor little girl... RIP, no one can hurt you now!

It really pains to read. How can any human can do this to a child. It boils my blood to read about the torture they did to child.

Just reading this story, I am gutted at the inhumanity of it all.

@gaijinpapa

That's a strong post you made earlier. And I feel for you and others in your situation.

Good luck...your kid will one day find YOU!

Sorry, you have no way of knowing what other people think, or what they can or cannot imagine.

Um, I'm guessing that you don't realize that you just confirmed what I said:

You can imagine what you think it would be like to lose a child, but I don't think that anyone can actually imagine the reality of it. That kind of grief is one you can only know if you've experienced.

The fact is, accurate imagination requires experience, and if you have not been in the situation, you can only guess at how you might feel, you can't actually know how you would.

Because as we've seen from past cases, both in Japan and out, people can spend years in jail for a crime that they were supposedly convicted of beyond all doubt, yet be released as innocents years later. If you execute them, there is no way to make up for the wrongful conviction.

I got two downvotes for this comment, yet no comments explaining where those people think the fallacy lies in my comment.

Which says they don't like me, and therefore thumb me down, yet cannot actually find anything wrong with what I wrote.

StrangerlandToday  10:38 am JST

Can't I? My daughter is just two years older that the girl in this story. My son is almost two and sitting right next to me. I think I know exactly how I would feel if anything happened to them that I thought I could have prevented.

I don't think you can.

Sorry, you have no way of knowing what other people think, or what they can or cannot imagine. I find such assumptions extremely patronising so I don't presume to think I know what's on anyone else's mind.

@Toasted Heretic

ive smacked before.

After not seeing my kids for years, I’d never smack them again.

And I understand your sentiment re vengeance.

Odd then, that the same voices often crop up in favour of smacking kids.

Abuse is abuse.

Sorry but this makes zero sense.

What doesn't make sense about it? You have people here saying that abusing kids to death is wrong, and some of those same voices make comments about smaking kids in other threads. The comment was that whether it's a smack upside the head, or enough smacks upside the head that the kid dies, it's still abuse.

“Can't I? My daughter is just two years older that the girl in this story. My son is almost two and sitting right next to me. I think I know exactly how I would feel if anything happened to them that I thought I could have prevented.”

yeah i I know you think that.

Somethings you won’t know until you experience them. And I hope you never do.

i was originally trying to make the point that the biological father might me suffering so much - and if you’d been trying to see your child for years and this happened it would be ..enough to make the man kill him self

This is just heartbreaking.

Can't I? My daughter is just two years older that the girl in this story. My son is almost two and sitting right next to me. I think I know exactly how I would feel if anything happened to them that I thought I could have prevented.

I don't think you can. You can imagine what you think it would be like to lose a child, but I don't think that anyone can actually imagine the reality of it. That kind of grief is one you can only know if you've experienced.

Will a case like this - and the issues with child protection in Japan - get the same lengthy and detailed press attention as the recent ‘Quarterback Tackle’ story?

Somehow, I doubt it - it would require some very serious questions being asked about life and laws in Japan. Not the usual fodder served up by the ‘wide’ shows.

Odd then, that the same voices often crop up in favour of smacking kids.

Abuse is abuse.

Sorry but this makes zero sense. Once again, tell me, what is the excuse for abusing a child to the point of death?

I'm not talking about another adult here as the victim - which of course can have grey areas. I'm talking about a small defenseless child. So, again, there is no excuse and never will be. I hope both these lowlifes get the absolute worst possible torment and a life of living hell either in jail or in the grave, ideally both.

Anyone who can come on here after reading that little girl's letter and actually spend their time berating other posters about "barbaric comments" towards two monsters is just heartless.

Another level

We need a new law that allows child welfare authorities to use police force to break in in cases of suspected child endangerment

I agree. My wife was just telling me that Kagawa-ken, where the defendants previously lived, along with Ibaraki and one other prefecture, have laws whereby the child-care workers can directly contact the police in situations where the parents won't let the child-care workers in to see the children. However, other prefectures are not able to do this. This is why the girl was taken into protective custody twice in Kagawa, but not at all in Tokyo.

I read this story this morning, not long before our son left to go to hoikuen.

Our son turned 5 this past Monday. He is such an amazing, beautiful boy!

Do you know what I did after reading this story?? I told our son "I love you more than whole wide world."

And do you know what he said before he walked out the door?? "I love you too, Daddy"! And he blew me a big kiss!!

There is absolutely NOTHING better than that!! Nothing!!

I just feel such sadness for this little girl.... no other words.....

gaijinpapaToday  09:52 am JST

Simon Foston,

please, don’t automatically blame the biological father.

some of us are not allowed to see our daughters, don’t know where they live, don’t know if they are living with an abusive boyfriend , and risk arrest trying to go near them - and we still stay in this country paying child support and pleading with the Family Court people to let us see our kids for five minutes.

Undeniably true, but this kind of thing is happening far too much and as GW notes it always seems to involve step-fathers. Where are the actual fathers? They can't all be getting denied access to their children. It's a dreadful tragedy if that has happened in this case, but there is nothing to suggest it yet.

Her biological father may be bad, but he also might be a man who today is grieving in a way you can’t imagine.

Can't I? My daughter is just two years older that the girl in this story. My son is almost two and sitting right next to me. I think I know exactly how I would feel if anything happened to them that I thought I could have prevented.

I'd like to know from anti-death penalty people on here why it is wrong to give them capital punishment but fine to let them keep living with 3 meals a day, shower and sleep?

Because as we've seen from past cases, both in Japan and out, people can spend years in jail for a crime that they were supposedly convicted of beyond all doubt, yet be released as innocents years later. If you execute them, there is no way to make up for the wrongful conviction.

When the family moved to Tokyo, Kagawa authorities notified a child welfare office in Shinagawa Ward. Representatives visited the Funatos' apartment on Feb 9 but Yua's mother wouldn't let them in.

We need a new law that allows child welfare authorities to use police force to break in in cases of suspected child endangerment, at the very least in cases like this when it is already confirmed that abuse has happened before.

If there was ever a case that warranted the death penalty, it is absolutely these two pieces of child-abusing scum. Failing that, a minimum of 50 years in the worst prison in Japan. The animals have forfeited any right to ever live in society.

Rest in Peace little Angel, fly high.

OMG, my heart goes out to this little girl!

Seems too many of the wrong kind of young people having kids these days & so often these words are in these articles:

STEP FATHER

Toss if social services & police that fail miserably & sadly we will keep hearing about these stories. Just like we hear about old folks taking their lives for various reasons.

Japan can be a very cold place!

Toasted HereticToday  09:28 am JST

And yes, I agreee, blaming other members of the family is premature, as such abuse can be hidden.

It wasn't hidden very well. The welfare services noticed the signs of abuse, I think other family members had a good chance of noticing bruises, frostbite and malnutrition as well if they had been properly involved in the care of this girl. I think it's more likely that once the parents split up the father simply had nothing more to do with his daughter - that seems to be quite acceptable here. I suppose it is fair and reasonable to give the family the benefit of the doubt and not judge them too harshly before all the facts are in, but if I were the father in this situation I would certainly be judging myself pretty harshly right now.

That's the saddest thing I've read in ages. I can't think of a proper punishment for these wretched people. Poor girl. Just awful.

This is sickening. I'd hesitate to call these people parents or human beings.

Smacking is NOT the same as torture or murder. I'm a very liberal person, but even I get a bit sick and tired of the PC crap sometimes. And yes, sometimes I am pro-capital punishment when there is proof beyond doubt, although I'm not referring to this case in particular.

What can I do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?

This is just too much.

I wish I could have looked after this sweet little girl.

Simon Foster,

please, don’t automatically blame the biological father.

some of us are not allowed to see our daughters, don’t know where they live, don’t know if they are living with an abusive boyfriend , and risk arrest trying to go near them - and we still stay in this country paying child support and pleading with the Family Court people to let us see our kids for five minutes.

And as as terrible as this news is for all of you, it’s worse when you just want to hug your own kids but can’t, and don’t know when you will be able to.

Her biological father may be bad, but he also might be a man who today is grieving in a way you can’t imagine.

I'd like to know from anti-death penalty people on here why it is wrong to give them capital punishment but fine to let them keep living with 3 meals a day, shower and sleep?

Beause murder is wrong, whether it's carried out by individuals, terrorists. lynch mobs or the state.

There should be zero sympathy for people who murder children.

Odd then, that the same voices often crop up in favour of smacking kids.

Abuse is abuse.

I'd like to know from anti-death penalty people on here why it is wrong to give them capital punishment but fine to let them keep living with 3 meals a day, shower and sleep?

This is the number one reason i sacrifice myself and i take care of my kids after my xwife wanted to go back to japan, "because she missed Japanese food" lol, i said sayonara, no one is going to abuse my kids.

afanofjapanToday  08:42 am JST

Just an incredibly sad story. I hope this guy spends the rest of his life feeling guilt and sorrow for causing her to die

Unlikely. In this case I don't believe in the death penalty because it's a deterrent or a just punishment, but because it's a waste of money, food and oxygen keeping a creature like this alive. If we were reading a story about a dog that had killed a child we would also be reading that it had been put down. Human beings who behave the same way or worse should be treated just the same.

Is advocating barbaric violence the only response towards barbaric violence?

Towards two subhuman monsters who beat, starved and who knows what other horrible things to an innocent child who literally pleaded for her life in the only way she likely knew how? Yes, absolutely.

There should be zero sympathy for people who murder children.

@maybe

My sympathy lies with the girl, of course but the mob mentality frightens me. Look at the anger in the faces of your tormentors and then look at the anger in the faces of those who would seek to avenge you. It's hard to discern who is who, when the clouds of violence roll in.

And yes, I agreee, blaming other members of the family is premature, as such abuse can be hidden.

https://www.fnn.jp/posts/00393714CX

A detailed article with a picture of her and what she wrote.

I see lot of anger towards the parents, as should be, but every one seem to be missing the bigger picture :

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASL663D72L66UTIL00H.html

She was taken from them twice, because she was punched. But she was still returned.

Then there was a third report by a hospital who found marks on her legs, which she said was because her step-father kicked her. But the child services judge it was not a reason to take her away.

This tragedy, and a lot of others, could have been avoided if child protection services did their freaking job ! Every time it's the same thing, and nothing changes at all. If this story touched you, brace yourself, because it's not going to stop anytime soon.

Rack up another point for social services. Another fail.

@Toasted

Horrible case and horrible posts.

I have no sympathy for these two evil gits, and hope they get life or the rope...but I will not lower myself to their level by wishing some of the things posted here. It's pointless as I can do nothing about it and only increase my stress levels.

It's also premature to blame any others of the extended family (especially the bio father) as they may have had not known of the situation.

Having a daughter myself, I can't imagine how one can hurt their own flesh and blood and in such a cruel way. My blood boils and my heart cries reading the daughters cries for help. I hope these 2 will get what they deserve.

I saw the news on tv, a very cute 2 pictures of that child and what she repeatedly wrote in her note...I couldn't stop crying to imagine the scenes of that poor child. RIP my little angel.

Heartbreaking! And the poor thing thought it was her fault.

I hope they suffer till they die.

Is advocating barbaric violence the only response towards barbaric violence?

Hope they both get the death penalty. Even that seems too good for them.

Look at that face. No sign of remorse whatsoever. The couple deserves nothing but a dose of their own medicine.

Horrible case and horrible posts.

These two are toast. On the prison food chain child killers are at the very bottom, let's hope they get what they deserve inside.

Sadly, you are wrong. Prisons don't work like this in Japan. In a Japanese prison, you fear the guards, not the other inmates.

As loathsome as these people clearly are, the step-father in particular, it needs saying that this could and should have been prevented. The biological father, the grandparents, the police, the child welfare services... this is all on them too. I hope none of them ever sleep again, knowing that they let this happen.

Perhaps they should have shown a pic of the step-father, since it seems he was the one that instigated the fatal abuse. Its possible this mother was a victim of stockholm syndrome, though I cant imagine what sort of mental trauma one would have to endure before you start hurting your own child.

Just an incredibly sad story. I hope this guy spends the rest of his life feeling guilt and sorrow for causing her to die

Seriously what is wrong with these people. "In one of the notes found by police, Yua wrote: "I will do better tomorrow than today. Please forgive me." In another, she wrote she was sorry for playing and wouldn't do it again." :( :( :(

"How can people do such evil?" is a question often asked, but when I see the face of a "killer" like Yuri Funato, I believe I can see a deeply troubled child in an adult body. Her cold, guarded physiognomy seems to mask a vulnerability often found among abused children who received little love from adults and grow up to display a passive-aggressive personality. The deprivations of her childhood probably destined her to play out her tragic role as an unfit parent with no "maternal" instincts. She, too, must be seen as one of society's victims.

I hope these monsters never see the sunlight as a free person ever again. And I also seriously hope they get similar treatment behind bars.

She had also suffered frostbite to her feet after Funato made her sleep on the balcony during winter.

In one of the notes found by police, Yua wrote: "I will do better tomorrow than today. Please forgive me." In another, she wrote she was sorry for playing and wouldn't do it again.

I had to leave my desk to go to the bathroom to cry. Why would you do this to a kid? If they didn't want the child, putting the child up for adoption so she could've been an a "slightly better place" than the hell she was brought into. I'm crying again. Why is this allowed to happen in Japan?

These two pieces of vermin should be sterilized and then locked up for a very long time.

They will not escape justice

Whoever offends one of these little ones, it would be better for him if a millstone were tied around his neck and he were tossed into the sea

How can people do such evil?

Let's all do our best to make sure our kids know they are loved

It breaks my heart if I see a tear in my granddaughter's eyes I can't imagine looking a little girl in the face while you're beating her and torturing her over time

My prayer for the little one, may she rest in peace, and for her parents, may they realize what they have done and repent.

MONSTER... die in hell... this makes me so sad and angry!

My wife forced me to turn off the TV when we heard this because she couldn't stand to listen to this heartbreaking story.

@vince , not in Japan ... unfortunately

This is just awful on so many levels. I saw this on the news last night and could not believe what I was watching. Poor little girl.

Wow! Today’s family murder report is very, very sad.

These two are toast. On the prison food chain child killers are at the very bottom, let's hope they get what they deserve inside. And after death, an appropriate fate.

That's the I am Evil photo....

The family had lived in Kagawa Prefecture, where Yua was taken into temporary protective custody twice by a local child welfare center, before moving to Tokyo. Kagawa prefectural police had referred Funato to prosecutors twice on suspicion of injuring her.

So why was she still allowed to stay with them? Sounds like a failure of the system. They need to implement measures to forcefully and permanently remove children when they are in danger.

Justice for Yua chang! the child suffered from the two human being that was supposed to care for her.

This is infuriating. I'd love to render these two limb from limb with my own two hands. That poor girl.

I'd even say that the police/social services should have intervened and removed her from parental custody long before it came to her death.

These two can rot in a hole as far as I'm concerned.

I do not read a story or watch on TV about such cruel stories. It is too sad. Sometime ago, I saw a stray mother cat walking with her baby cat. I gave food to the cats. Then, a moving scene happened. The mother cat was watching a baby cat finish eating and for the first time the mother cat started eating confirming her baby cat finished. I was moved very much. They are inferior to animals.

This story makes me feel sick to my stomach. My daughter is 4 and is the smallest kid in her school and still weighs 15kg. These parents are monsters and the system failed her. Poor girl.

capital punishment, both, no excuses.. this garbage doesnt deserve to live

you should need a license to have kids because some people just are not fit to procreate

So that's the face of a killer. This is one time I really would like to know what kind of background she comes from.

I typically am against the death penalty for a host of reasons, but cases like this, make my blood boil as there is NO EXCUSE for this to happen to any child! They both should swing, but sadly, here, the courts don't hand down the death sentence when there is only "one" victim.

Set a precedent in this case please!

Put those two in a weighted bag and throw them in the ocean.

This whole idea that the child is better off with the parents, whatever their treatment of her, is what is leading to these deaths. It's a disgrace. The authorities knew about the abuse, but did nothing. Curse them all for their archaic ideas and lack of solutions, which only create more victims - not only in cases like these, but for abused spouses and other family members too. It is a disgrace.

But on Wednesday, police decided there was enough evidence to charge both of them with fatally abusing Yua.

Good lord.....someone has to pay! RIP little one!