Man allegedly beats 70-year-old mother to death

What an assh*le.

Sometimes there aren't the facilities there to give the main carer a respite. Seems to depend on where you live. I have a friend who is looking after her disabled father-in-law. He is in a wheelchair and cannot do anything for himself. As the hospitals and facilities in her area are booked up, a kind of rotation system was implemented. Father-in-law gets a two week stay in a special facility then two weeks back at home in my friends care. With 3 kids to look after she is still exhausted and sometimes at her wit's end. It's not just about family pride or cultural pressure, more support and facilities are needed. Plus, it can cost a fortune for the right care.

I actually agree with ASAGAO, if Japan would take say at least 2 percent from all of these scum corrupt politicians who are living off of our TAXES and make sure this $$$ could help put old folk in proper homes etc..maybe, just maybe there would be less incidents like this, but then we also read about crazy nurse pulling out the toe nails of patients in hospitals etc..right?? So just because you put mom or dad, granma or granpa in an old folks home does not mean would should let our guards down and think that they are 100% safe, IMHO??

There comes a time especialy when the patient is suffering with Alzhiemers that the Carer needs to consider that it is not possible to continue looking after their loved one singlehanded.. Love and loyalty plays a huge part of the Carers role. Some continue to try and do their best to fullfill their role to the detriment of their own health thinking that sending the patient to a nursing home is an act of betrayal.It is smpley not possible for the Carer to work 24/7 alone

He'll get off, in family murders always do in Japan esp. when the victim is old.. I don't know why.. it's like "oh we feel your suffering so here is your suspended sentence"

There are two gentlemen who live opposite me with their elderly mother. She has severe Alzheimers. One son works. The other stays at home 24/7 looking after the mother. I see him on almost a daily basis searching for her in the neighbourhood. She runs off repeatedly. Chasing her around the neighbourhood. She nearly set their house on fire one time. It looks like a terrible situation to be dealing with. Especially without training or any family support. I sometimes go over and take cakes or food. I always lie and say its some British custom or celebration that day whatever just incase they feel embarassed or something. None of the other neighbours lift a finger to help and they are all retired,healthy folk or middle-aged women with empty nests. I dont know why that is. Maybe you have to reach out for help here. Ask for it otherwise none is forthcoming. I am not sure. Anyways, it is a bad situation brewing and I am very worried about them.

Sorry if you feel I am rambling but I wonder if with this story, it was a similar situation. I am in no way condoning what the man did. I abhor any form of violence. Especially towards the weak and vulnerable.

Chinchan ZuSep. 13, 2011 - 12:31AM JST

i feel like you would more likely to be killed by your family member than any random stranger in Japan.

This is almost certainly true everywhere, not just Japan.

Very sad, and very odd. He didnt beat her at the time she refused the dinner which would have suggested a snapped temper - this suggested a premeditation to it. On the other hand, had he wanted to kill her i am sure there were easier ways. One thing above all else that this highlights is the lack of support for carers here. Especially with people living longer now, I have known of people in their 60s and 70s caring for parents in their 90s!l

A friend of mines Father is a doctor and attached to his hospital he runs a respite centre. It is a wonderful place, full of lovely kind nurses and even a "party room". It is very expensive and yet still in huge demand.

I was once in the exact same situation as this man taking care of my mother, who is Japanese, single-handedly. Fortunately, I was able to put her in a home and she passed away peacefully three years ago.

What this Son did to his Mother, I wish someone will do the exact same thing to him - only 10 times more!

i feel like you would more likely to be killed by your family member than any random stranger in Japan.

It is about time to start spending a lot of Japan's wealth on social services. The system where parents look after parents was fine in the past, but society has changed and now we can't be expected to care for our parents/grandparents. I am happy to pay an extra 2% tax if I was sure my money will go to care for the elderly, unemployed, solo mothers and radiation victims.

No matter what, how can he hit his parent? Moral in Japan is becoming bad to worst.. ;(

He may have been a fine cook. But at her age, appetite is easily lost. Sad story, to be killed by the one she endured so much to give life.

@Christina O'Neill

You have a good point, but apparently nothing has been done.

@Christina O'Niell: your thoughts are in the right place but getting "involved" in the business of others is very rare here.

it jaw dropping news

Crazyjoe if the report by Yamanashi newspapers is true,I wonder if the neighbours of ten years had ever considered knocking on Kentas door to offer some help and respite with the care of his mother. If Mr Kensa had at times been offered just a simple cup of tea and a chat to help eleviate the stress of being a full time carer. Its a lonely job and so often both carer and patient can become isolated with little or no support Daycare centres are also vital in supporting both patient and carer.

"Definitely not condoning what he did, but basically i think he just got overburdened and snapped. Seems this guy had to take care of his mom basically 24/7"

Call it over overburdened all you want. I've had times when someone "overburdened" me and I wanted to smash in their face also, but you know common sense and the law keep me from doing things I would regret.

He could have done a number of things to not deal with mom any longer. Walked away, put her in a home, called the cops and said an old lady needs help and I ain't doing it any longer.

But the one thing you would not be calling it now, that would be murder. And as CrazyJoe just pointed out, there is more to the story. She was sleeping.

According to the local Yamanashi newspapers, this man beat his mother in the bedroom while she was sleeping around 11:30PM. It also states that this man used to dump the food in the yard repeatedly whenever the mother refused to eat the meal . Neighbors often heard them arguing and sometimes heard the sounds of furniture falling. They started to live here a little over ten years ago. The mother became disabled a few years back.

Dementing parent or not, this guy and many other Japanese obviously has much deeper emotional issues and hopefully he gets the treatment he needs.

Probably another case of a dementing parent being cared for by their own child. In the end this becomes unbearable and the thing apparently escalates because of not wanting to eat. These articles never tell you what happened before this. My mother cared for her own mother and the last few weeks they simply didn't sleep at all. In that condition all sorts of nasty things can happen. At least in Belgium we had the option to take her to a daycare center. In Japan, most people are financially not able to bear those costs.

They should include some training in dealing with frustration and real information about psychological help (that removes the social stigma) in the Japanese curriculum. This doesn't help any of the victims now or for the next decade, but it might be a boon in years to come. Japanese society offers plenty of frustration for those who bear its weight and they need professional help dealing with it. Otherwise, these tragic failures of the human mind will become even more common.

Definitely not condoning what he did, but basically i think he just got overburdened and snapped. Seems this guy had to take care of his mom basically 24/7.

Let's hope Mr. Kenta Yonenaga gets the proper rehabilitation he so desperately needs behind bars....

and (Wait for it...) proper cooking lessons, too!

said it before and I'll say it again: another day in Japan, another person kills his/her parent(s). vote me down if you know it's true.

This would have been out of frustration obviously.

Terrible for both the vitim and the defendant

You do not kill your mother because she thought he was a bad cook. This man needs help.