A 33-year-old former owner of a daycare facility was arrested Tuesday in relation to the death of a 1-year-old baby she was looking after, police revealed.
According to investigators, Naoko Yoshida is accused of adding dissolved salt in the milk of Ako Shitasaka, a child she was caring at a daycare facility in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, on August 17, 2015.
The baby began vomiting soon after she returned home together with her father. She was taken to a hospital, but died approximately three hours later.
Yoshida has reportedly admitted to making the baby drink the salt-infused drink, but has declined any intentions to harm her and “didn’t think she would die,” Fuji TV reported.
Shortly after the death, the hospital the baby was treated at contacted the prefectural police with a request to investigate, as medical tests showed that she had been most likely poisoned. The case had been under investigation since.
Following the arrest, Shitasaka’s parents released a statement through their lawyer saying that they “hope similar cases will never occur again.” The statement also read: “Regardless of what is done, our daughter will never return to us. But at least, (we are grateful) that the truth came to light.”
Yoshida’s daycare facility closed soon after Shitasaka’s death, just a month after it had opened, Fuji TV said.
© Japan Today
29 Comments
Goodlucktoyou
Thank you for posting such an article at a late time. If I read first thing in the morning, my day is ruined.
Raw Beer
I know sodium metal is harmful, but she added sodium salt, which is not poisonous...
paradoxbox
salt is sodium (sodium chloride)
it is very toxic in high amounts for people with low bodyweight (like babies)
this woman is the worst kind of evil, i can't begin to imagine what would inspire her to do something like this.
TheGodfather
Was it licensed?
thepersoniamnow
A child murderer! And she did it for no reason except her own (evil) fascination.
How many other babies has she hurt or made sick?
If I were the parents I would definitely want the death penalty for her.
Death row please.
Raw Beer
If she just added regular table salt (sodium chloride), I would have written the article differently.
tmarie
I'm guessing a private daycare where there was other staff around. Horrific event and I feel very sorry for the family. Get the woman mental health care and lock her up.
sir_bentley28
She'll take the death sentence for 100 points, please.
How could she do that? What was she expecting to happen?
nakanoguy01
the unaswered question is "Why?" what the heck was this animal thinking? it does not deserve to live while that baby died. in a just world, it would be get the same punishment that it meted out.
paradoxbox
I think many if not all cases involving poisoning like this use the term sodium poisoning because whether you are using sodium metal or sodium chloride, sodium is the element that caused the poisoning.
Besides that fact, I don't even think it is possible to poison someone with sodium metal since it'd probably just catch on fire the minute it hit moisture in the air or certainly inside a milk bottle.
Really can't figure out why a daycare owner would do something like this though. What would drive someone to such an evil act?
Dan Lewis
On a decidely ON topic note, the same thing can happen to dogs, apparently...
https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/anjNbbB_700b_v1.jpg
smithinjapan
I'm guessing it's yet another unlicensed daycare that the government requires absolutely no standards of care exist. Or worse yet, it IS licensed and once again you just have no requirements for hiring qualified and non-psychotic people to take care of the nation's future.
I predict a two year sentence for the poisoner, tops. After all, she did say, "I poisoned her... but didn't think it would actually hurt her".
RIP to the little soul. The parents sound like far more reasonable people than I would be were it my child.
gogogo
This is tragic, what did the daycare person think would happen?
Strangerland
What are you talking about? Unlicensed daycares are not unregulated daycares. It just means they have not gone the additional step of becoming an official government daycare. They are still regulated though, and standards of care do exist.
drlucifer
And how are they regulated ?
Strangerland
And how are they regulated ?
By law.
Spend some time time reading up on unlicensed daycares in Japan. It's actually a bad translation. It means something more along the lines of not having additional government recognition rather than not having a license.
Everytime this topic comes up we have the same discussion on JT.
Strangerland
For some more information, the translation comes from 認可保育園 (ninka hoikuen)
認可 - Approve/permission/license
Quick and dirty translation (I'm limited on time).
What is a 'licensed daycare'?
The 'licensed' in 'licensed daycare' means that it is has been approved by the government. The purpose is to care for children who are unable to be cared for due to the employment or sickness of their parent/guardian. In order to enter these daycares, the parent/guardian must apply to the city in which they live.
These daycares must meet certain standards such as the materials used and the number of workers employed. Numbers are set for things such as the maximum number of children per care room, the minimum size of the outdoor play area, maximum number of children per care worker, and times are set from 7:30am (7am for some establishments) until 6pm. Many day cares will allow for extended care until 8pm.
What is an unlicensed daycare?
Unlicensed daycares are daycares that have not been approved under the Child Welfare Law (1947), and children can enroll regardless of whether the parents/guardians are working or are ill. Applications are made by the parent/guardian directly to the daycare.
Link: https://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/409548/
As Educator mentioned above, these unapproved daycares are still regulated and must meet certain requirements.
Douglas Burbury
paradoxbox
Ummmm no. That's not how chemistry works.
The child was not poisoned by sodium, it was poisoned by sodium chloride.
Michael Jackson
Why the hell did it take two years to investigate something as simple as that. Who knows how many other kids she could have harmed in that time, whether or not she was still doing daycare.
Strangerland
Test:
The child's name is Ako Sh*tasaka
Strangerland
Yep you're right Educator, it doesn't like the child's last name.
The language filter is too strong on the site.
metaterapin
Considering half the posters here are SJW PC crusaders who will get ultra butt hurt at the sight of a 'bad' word, it's probably necessary lol. I completely agree though.