crime

Father arrested over abuse of 1-month-old son

16 Comments

Police in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, have arrested a 28-year-old caregiver on suspicion of abusing his one-month-old son by hitting the boy's head against the floor.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 3 a.m. on Oct 6. The father, Tatsuhiro Terasaki, is accused of slamming his son’s head into the carpeted floor in the living room of their apartment at around 3 a.m., Sankei Shimbun reported. At 6 a.m., Terasaki’s wife noticed there was something wrong with her son and took him to a hospital where doctors said he had suffered a fractured skull and acute subdural hematoma.

The hospital notified a child welfare facility about a case of possible child abuse and contacted police on Oct 7. Police said Terasaki has admitted to the charge but has so far given no reason for his actions.

Terasaki and his wife live with their son and two-year-old daughter.

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16 Comments
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One of the sad results of growing up in a cold, affection starved society? Could it be that this dad grew up in a dysfunctional home as well? Or are the effects of violent manga partly to blame. Hard to tell, but possibly so.

Raising our children in loving, affectionate homes with older siblings helping care for babies and other younger ones helps to prepare boys and girls for eventual parenthood, especially if thier parents are good examples to follow.

Switching off the TV and limiting Internet/social media will help too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Luddite

At what time should the test be passed?

At wedding time, before uncertain conception time, after 3 months pregnancy?

In the case of failed test and certificate of parenthood cannot be delivered what are the next step?

Adoption parents test, and so on and son on?

Just being sarcastic because this is so stupid.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Luddite, unless your proposed test involves being locked in a room with a crying baby for 24 hours when already in a month-long sleep-deprived state, then a test will not be able to predict how a new parent will react to the stresses of having to care for a baby.

In the UK there were/are schemes where teenagers in areas with high rates of teen pregnancies are given dolls they have to care for for at least a week. These dolls have computers in them that make the doll cry, loudly and continuously, at random times and also tell the teenager when the doll has to be fed, nappy changed etc. t was very effective at putting them off babies.

Why not do the same for prospective parents? To see how they cope.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Luddite, unless your proposed test involves being locked in a room with a crying baby for 24 hours when already in a month-long sleep-deprived state, then a test will not be able to predict how a new parent will react to the stresses of having to care for a baby.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The father, Tatsuhiro Terasaki, is accused of slamming his son’s head into the carpeted floor in the living room of their apartment at around 3 a.m.

I'm willing to bet that his excuse is "The baby wouldn't stop crying!" Also, how much of a man are you to abuse a 1 month old baby? A 1 MONTH OLD?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

It is shocking that someone would intentionally do anything like this to a 1 month old in particular. They are extraordinarily vulnerable at that age, the neck can't yet support the weight of the head and the skull has not fully formed (hardened) yet either. You have to handle 1 month olds with an insane amount of care and specifically avoid any bumps to their heads since they can cause lasting damage (as may have happened in this case).

There is just no excuse.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Terasaki has admitted to the charge but has so far given no reason for his actions.

Thought that is a way to calm down a crying baby. Unfortunately, idiocy like this exists everywhere. Our regular Japan bashers might want to look up "shaken baby syndrome".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Smashing a baby's head against the floor and then pretending nothing happened. He obviously forgot that babies cry.

Seriously, I think in every country prospective parents should have to pass a test and screening in order to be able to have kids. Adoptive parents do, birth parents get a free pass.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Northernlife - Loser needs to be locked up....if he did this to his own son imagine what he was like as a caregiver...

It was his own son!

There are many Japanese people who cannot control their emotions and are living on the edge of emotional instability. This comes from the stresses of work always being told what to do in the sempai/kohei society. People become so emotionally frustrated they just snap at the slightest inconvenience. I see at least two or three altercations in transit every week. People using the 'up' side of the staircase at the train station to go down always raises the friction of some oversensitive crackpot to start an altercation. I've been the victim of some crackpot who didn't like my bag or umbrella touching him a few times. Japanese society is becoming very highly strung due to the economic pressures. This is reflected in the massive increase in child abuse, domestic violence and violence in general over the last decade or so. It's always the kids that cop it. Hope this baby recovers and survives. As for the father, of course I'm sure he feels some regret although, I'm also quite sure doesn't understand what he did wrong.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Such a brave man! Hurting a month old infant. As a new father the thought that someone could even think hurting a child like that is justified somehow makes a knot in my stomach.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

These people release their anger and frustration on the defenceless, such a cruel thing to do. I'm a really stressed young man, but I'd never take it out onto anybody since it's my own responsibility to deal with the stress.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The baby's crying interrupted his mobile phone game?

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Again?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

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