Police in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, said Wednesday they have arrested a 29-year-old woman on suspicion of attempting to strangle her 8-month-old daughter to death.
The suspect identified as Akie Arai, a company employee, is accused of strangling her daughter at her parents’ home at around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Fuji TV reported.
According to police, the baby sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Police said that so far, Arai has given no motive for her actions.
© Japan Today
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Chip Star
Heartbreaking.
Belrick
Post-partum depression is a real thing, but Japan is a very long way behind on mental health care. I pray she gets the help she needs and her baby is going to be safe.
Do the hustle
She is a company employee, so the baby was either being raised by her parents or in a daycare center. Calling it post-partum depression after 8 months is a bit of a stretch. It’s more likely that work and the baby were to much for her and she had to quit one of them. Quitting her job was not an option, so the baby copped it.
Maria
@do the hustle, who said:
When you were doing your medical degree, didn't they teach you that psychiatric disorders can last years? At least one year if untreated, and usually more.
gogogo
Where is the father and the family in all of this?
Do the hustle
When you were doing your medical degree, did they teach you that PPD can be used as a convenient excuse for underlying mental and emotional issues from long before birth?
Michael Jackson
@ Belrick, so you were able to diagnose her after reading a few paragraphs wow quite a medical Marvel aren't you
Michael Jackson
Maria is correct though. Left untreated postpartum depression can last for years
mariamaria
The baby is awake the whole night, come morning time she will go to work without sleep. This is her life since she gave birth on repeat mode every single day. No support from the father(maybe) financially, emotionally, physically. I can understand her depression. The feeling of being worthless loomed over her and that is very serious.
But please, do not blame and harm your child.
Aly Rustom
My daughter is 3 months old, and my son turned 3 yesterday. My daughter for the last 2 days has been crying constantly and my wife has been a brick- unwavering in her nurture and love for our littlest one. Stories like this are beyond heartbreaking but remind me that I have been blessed with the most wonderful wife who takes care of our kids. I'm so glad the little one will be ok though.
Concerned Citizen
Shocking and heartbreaking. The poor little girl, almost killed by her own mother. I'd hate to be the judge in this case. The message needs to be sent....do this to a defenseless baby and you will pay. But then maybe separating the child from her perhaps deeply remorseful mother who she needs in her life. If the mother is indeed remorseful she might be the best mother ever. Who knows? I pray there's a happy ending here.
Concerned Citizen
Aly Ruston:
Good for you.
Do the hustle
Which is still only an assumption. You do not know this woman’s history or present situation. The article gives no reason why she tried to kill her baby. You say it’s PPD. I say it was a pre-existing mental or emotional problem. Based on assumptions only.
Aly Rustom
Concerned Citizen
Thank you for your support and kind words
Belrick
Having had kids and seen my wife suffer from PPD, which can last several years, my opinion was based on experience.
smithinjapan
Lock her up. For those who are automatically going to sympathize with her no matter what (and not the child), at least send her away to an institution and take the child away permanently. But, TIJ, she'll be back at home with the kid, to do it again, in a matter of days, having "suffered enough".
maybeperhapsyes
The lady needs help. Give it to her. Then decide if she needs "locking up" after proper treatment and professional opinion.
Oops...my bad. TIJ....such vengeful justice here. Mental issues?? No such thing, man up!
rainyday
My only sympathy is with the child here. I just hope she never learns about what happened or only learns so when she is an adult capable of coping with it. Having your own mother try to murder you when you are completely dependent on her for your life is just too horrifying to imagine.
Michael Jackson
@ DoTheHustle - better go back and read my post again. I never said this lady had postpartum depression, only that PPD could last for years.
Goodlucktoyou
Some stressed out mothers can’t stand crying babies. They are like the neighbours barking Shiba dog that goes on all day and night.
theFritzX
Here we go again.
Jonathan Prin
Weren't the parents helping at their place ?
Se must have had some mental disorders, but so little help from others.
Investigation needed of course to give a conclusion to this case.
Negative ideas can appear if pushed to the cliff edge, like a non-stop crying baby. Speaking by experience.
Haaa Nemui
Here's something written by somebody who has suffered mental illness after pregnancy... I'm not saying it's what happened with this case but the link is relevant to the discussion at hand.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/107742769/my-postpartum-bipolar-scared-me-and-my-family
socrateos
She need a help. Society need to tell people like her that they can get help and do not need to suffer alone.