A 37-year-old man was arrested for assault on Tuesday, accused of burning his partner’s son with a cigarette on the night of April 6. Police said Kazushi Yoshida, a truck driver and resident of Hiroshima City, is accused of pressed a lit cigarette on the 4-year-old boy’s forehead.
The boy suffered burns that are expected to take a month to heal, police said. Yoshida has denied the allegation and told police he was working that night.
Staff at the boy’s nursery school noticed the injury and called a children’s welfare center, who called police. Police said the boy had been living with Yoshida in Hiroshima City since June last year, along with his mother and older brother, but that the welfare center had taken the boy into its custody twice.
Police said they had received information that the boy’s older brother had also been assaulted, and are investigating if the boys were subjected to abuse on a regular basis.
© News reports
27 Comments
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dreamdrifter
I can't believe this is "top news".
Altria
Cigarettes don't hurt people, people hurt people!
jinjapan
people like this should be whipped in public.
jinjapan
dreamdrifter, if you haven't noticed, this paper is basically a tabloid. hence the "top news"
DXXJP
Its sad this a$$ is going to get thrown in jail and treated decent and this poor boy is scared for life, and will probably be bounced in and out of foster care.
buggerlugs
Patrick. You're too nice now, I'd do the double kneecapping cause death is too easy for scum like this. what is the world coming too...
bobcatfish
that's about as low as it gets
Potsu
Typical caring Japanese mother putting kids in this situation.
Psych
jinjapan
people like this should be whipped in public.
I couldnt agree with you more. Betcha the kid would have gotten a laugh from watching the abuser being whipped in public.
Deguchisan
I hate him.
Disillusioned
What a scumbag! It was reported by childcare staff and not by the mother. The mother should be charged too.
mindovermatter
Oh... Words can't describe how much I'd love meet this guy....
WilliB
Hurting a 4-year old. So disgusting.
Den Den
Special thanks to the school staff. If it wasn't for their concern, these kids would suffer indefinitely.
Elbuda Mexicano
I would love to shove burning Cuban cigars into this bastard's (37 year old hiroshima truck dirver) eyes! See how much he would enjoy it then! BTW I would love to meet him too, with a bit a gasoline in hand and use his own lighter! BOOOM! Make even the Taliban proud of me!
USARonin
If this is true, why the heck is this mother allowing this guy to be under the same roof as her children?
As the stats say, the mother is the one mostly likely to abuse her child, and if she isn't doin' it herself, then it's bein' done in her presence.
This all began with the mother's selfish choices.
Dennis Bauer
They realy "love" their kids -__-
sydenham
I wonder if there would be less child abuse if the divorce/ single-parent rate were lower. just thinking through my fingers. there are always too many cases like this, but a disproportionate number seem to invlove step parents or "boyfriends." not saying other stuff doesn't happen, just that this kind of thing is all too common. either that or it's more newsworthy, so to speak.
norinrad21
kids grow up, plot to kill the guy, all very messed up
sharky1
Burning children with cigarettes and hot lighters is a common practice in Japan. Another dirty little secret that they try to hide from the world. Sick, sick, sick...
BBLeo
Monster and Barbarian. He should get life for such crime. Such crime should carry maximum penalty, and as I can see he is known to welfare previously and they didn't do anything. Don't forget to charge mother of children also or prescribe some canning. Both 'LA MERDE, LA MERDE.'
SpanishEyez37
Once again, another mom too concerned with keeping her man instead of taking care of her kids. And the fact that the child was taken twice and placed back in the abusive home blows my mind. Mom should be thrown in jail next to her boyfriend.
mindovermatter
mmmmm.... I just might take that trip down to Hiroshima after all, and pay mr.Kazushi Yoshida a personal visit...
Elbuda Mexicano
there are many sick and twisted folks on these islands, this guy should be sent to somalia, on a ship with a huge american FLAG!
ca1ic0cat
We should put this guy in a cell with the guy who has a problem with hammers.
sharky1
Nope...we should put him in cell with a predatory sex offender.
jewel
This is so sad especially since the boy has already been taken into custody twice before. I wish the reporter would have not been so careless in reporting though. The reporter could have easily found out if the man had been working that night or not. Also I wonder if the 2 other abuse incidents came from this same man or the mother. Anyway this is really sad, and I agree w/USARonin and Sydenham that the mom bears a LOT of responsibility for this. I do think more abuse comes into play when a nonparent is put in a parenting position. Single parents shouldnt expect their kids to automatically fall in love, respect and obey the new parent. But that is the position the child is put in and when it doesnt happen the new inexperienced parent whose not at all equipped to deal with the resistence and baggage that child is carrying often overreacts. It is too much to ask of the child or the new "parent". The single parent bears responsibility, but of course the abuser doesnt get off the hook. They should get out of the relationship before they explode and admit theyve bitten off more than they can chew. If they stay, then they are choosing to walk on thin ice and must learn to accept and be patient with a troubled and perhaps difficult child.