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Police in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, have arrested a 26-year-old woman for allegedly hitting her one-month-old daughter in the head, rendering her unconscious, at their apartment.
According to police, Reika Suzuki hit her daughter Riana on the head multiple times with her hands from late January to mid-February, Sankei Shimbun reported. The abuse came to light when Suzuki brought Riana to a hospital on Feb 15. Staff reported the case to a child consultation center, which contacted the police the next day.
Doctors said the child suffered a fractured skull and remains unconscious.
Police said Suzuki has admitted to abusing her daughter and quoted her as saying, “I hit her many times due to stress from child-rearing and household chores.”
Suzuki’s husband told police he was unaware that his wife had been beating Riana during the day while he was at work.
© Japan Today
21 Comments
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sir_bentley28
You mean like a slave? No! We handle our on problems on our own.
albaleo
That's a good point. We can only comment from our own experiences.
My own experience of raising kids in Japan was the large level of support from neighbors. Maybe we were just lucky in where we lived where many neighbors were also having/raising young kids. I'm fairly sure if any of us had mistreated our kids, neighbors (friends) would have stepped in or reported the issue. And so I wonder how lonely the mother in the article must have been.
WilliB
Victoria Maude:
Well, that is a philosophical position, but biologically our sex drive and our natural instinct to protect our children exist to continue our DNA. If you lack that, fine. Some people leave the gene pool, and that is OK. However, you still rely on others to provide the children to pay your pension and take care of you in old age, so I hope you do not promote childlessness as a way of life for everybody.
smithinjapan
Please lord get the child away from this woman immediately, and lock her up -- or at least put her in a mental institution until she gets help. Give the child to a family that would ACTUALLY love and care for her.
Brian Wheway
“I hit her many times due to stress from child-rearing and household chores.”
The child has only just been born and you have started hitting her around her head at this young age? disgusting! this is only the start of her life it does not get any easier, even when they grow up, they are still a pain!
Toasted Heretic
As usual, we don't know what caused all this, what kind of life and pressures she's had to deal with.
Not to condone such awful violence against a kid, obviously.
Women in Japan are often treated like second class citizens. You only have to read some online comments with topics like sexual assault/Mori's ill-advised remarks/equality etc
She may have been living in an intolerable situation, made worse by the world we find ourselves in, currently.
We just don't know.
starpunk
There's another word (applies to dogs) that suits her better. I don't care what the escuse is, you don't hit a kid in the head. That child needs to be taken away, i'm sure there's somebody who will lovingly raise her.
Maru
Well said Victoria.
Mr Kipling
Sir Bentley...... You don't have a nanny? I can't imagine life without domestic help.
WilliB
Victoria Maude
Well, it is a biological inevitability. Without children, you take yourself out of the gene pool. Gone forever. Most people know that instinctively, even if they do not verbalize it. However, if that is what you want, good for you to acting honestly.
WilliB
What?? We are used to read about idiocy like this from boyfriends, fathers etc, but her own mother? She is unaware how fragile a 1 month old is?? Mind boggling.
Sam Watters
This story just breaks my heart but the comments from Sensei258 and Sir_Bently28 give me a sense of hope.
Random
Didn’t notice anything, Mr. Suzuki? Nice job covering your azz.
wowyz
@Victoria Maude,
I agree with you but for different reasons, particularly for Rev. 9:12
Do the hustle
“I hit her many times due to stress from child-rearing
It had only been a month you rotten cow! Some people should not be permitted to have children.
sir_bentley28
My wife and I work as a well oiled machine working together to raise our kids!Before I leave home, I make enough bottles of milk for the baby, set up her nappies and everytrhing so my wife could spend more time focusing on the baby. When I get home, I take the kids to the mall so she can sleep, relax, watch her movies or finish cleaning up in peace or I'd get home, clean, do the dishes and cook dinner while she continues to watch the baby and my other kid is watching tv. Most Japanese men believe that raising the baby is the woman's work! Forget that! My wife is happy and stress-free, my kids are happy and I am happy! Team work makes a dream work, people!
sensei258
We have been blessed to raise our own son, who is now 34, and have also been blessed to raise our granddaughter who is now a teenager. Give us your baby daughter if you don’t want her.