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crime

Mother arrested for leaving 11-year-old son at home for 3 days while she stayed with boyfriend

33 Comments

Police in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, have arrested a 38-year-old woman on suspicion of child neglect after she left her 11-year-old son at their apartment for about three days in mid-October while she stayed with her boyfriend at his apartment.

Police said the woman, whose name has not been released, is accused of leaving her son at home alone from Oct 15 until midnight just after midnight on Oct 17, Kyodo News reported.  

Police said the woman, a part-time employee, began living with the man in mid-September, frequently spending a lot of time away from her son at their apartment.

On the night of Oct 17, one of the woman’s relatives, who lives in another prefecture, contacted the boy to play an online game with him. When he said his mother hadn’t been home for three days, the relative called police and asked them to check on the boy.

Officers from Suzuka Police Station visited the apartment and the boy was placed into protective custody. Police said he was unharmed. The gas in the apartment was turned off and police said the boy told them he had to take a cold bath.

According to police reports, the woman would give her son cups of ramen noodles and 1,500 yen every few days while she stayed at her boyfriend’s place.

Police have also revealed that the woman consulted with a child welfare facility in early September, expressing concern about her inability to look after her son and asking that he be placed in a child welfare center. However, the boy refused to go, so his mother agreed to keep him at home.

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33 Comments
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Selfish woman. Do you know what happens to that poor child he will be kept their until he is 18 without love and or empathy on an individual basis. I hope this woman is arrested and put in jail and see how she enjoys her life there because that is what she is sentencing her son's life.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

While I think 11 years old is old enough to take care of one's self for a few days with enough preparation by the parents..

The gas in the apartment was turned off and police said the boy told them he had to take a cold bath.

THIS is not acceptable.

14 ( +21 / -7 )

Terrible terrible "parent," but at least it seems she knew that and it also looks like she had no love for the young man. Tough situation for him to be in. I have to say, though, that at that age, my mother trained me so I was able to take care of myself. However, with no heat or hot water that would have severely complicated matters. I guess the father is out of the picture and the boyfriend did not give a damn. Hope a relative can take him in and take care of him properly and I wish him the best.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

At least the boyfriend didn’t beat him like happens so often.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

asking that he be placed in a child welfare center. However, the boy refused to go,

Cannot imagine how the 11 year old boy must have felt to essentially be told by his own mother that she didn't want him.

Heartbreaking stuff.

All children deserve to have parents, but not all parents deserve to have children.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Man, its not fair how some kids get stuck with truly awful parents. Gotta feel for that kid.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Despicable woman, definitely not fit to be a mother. Jail time and a ban from contact with any children.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Selfish woman, the kid clearly loves her yet he she treats him like unwanted trash.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

As far as mothers go on here, she seems like one of the better ones. The boy’s alive. Anyone on here see that old 2004 Kore-Eda film Nobody Knows?

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Mother from hell.i hope she can never see sunlight again to make an example for others. Many Japanese women have similar mental issues.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Why hasn't the woman's name been released? She is not a 19-year-old "child".

Thank the gods the child was found alive. I just really hope my suspicion that they will simply chide the mother and give the child back to her is wrong and they lock her up.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Redemption Today  05:46 pm JST

At least the boyfriend didn’t beat him like happens so often.

Yes, I'm sure that's what the boy told the cops. "It wasn't so bad. My mother neglected me, left me alone in the apartment for three days with no hot food or hot water -- but hey, at least her boyfriend didn't hit me!"

This is a story about a mother seriously neglecting her child -- but it gets spun into an anti-male angle?

Women commit child abuse and neglect more often than men do. So, the woman in the story is hardly atypical.

And don't get me started on the fact that this woman was a single mother -- and that the intact two-parent family is the gold-standard environment in which to raise kids and in which to be raised as a kid.

Every study on the topic, bar none, concludes as such.

So that is a far greater issue at play here than the abusive-boyfriend narrative.

As for this story's boyfriend, the only thing he may be guilty of is enabling the mother's neglect of her child -- although for all we know, he could've been unaware she even had a child. As it is, he hasn't been charged with a crime.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The boyfriend knew about the child - trust me...

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

11 year old is old enough to microwave food in the fridge, kill time playing PlayStation, etc.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

Why hasn't the woman's name been released?

Not sure, but one reason might be to prevent the child from being identified.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

11 year old is old enough to microwave food in the fridge, kill time playing PlayStation, etc.

Yes, I'm sure that's what the boy told the cops. "It wasn't so bad. 

Agree..

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Under the revised Juvenile Act, 18 and 19 year olds are considered "specified juveniles" with special provisions, one of them being that their identity can only be published if and when they are being indicted (i.e., the arrest is not enough).

Read the article! The boy is 11, Mom is 38. Your post is meaningless in the context of the question regarding why she wasnt named!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Home Alone ................ ^_^

A lot of 11 year olds would give anything for three days on their own away from their mother.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Scum!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Some women find it more important to have a boyfriend than take care of their own kids.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

While I think 11 years old is old enough to take care of one's self for a few days with enough preparation by the parents..

So she can stay with her boyfriend? No. If it were something unavoidable and important that would be a different story, The worst part of this is the total lack of love the boy is receiving as he grows up. That can cripple him throughout his life unless he is unusually strong in spirit. The woman is heartless, but who knows how she was raised. Maybe the same way.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

My heart goes out for that boy. Definitely pull that kid out to put him with his relatives. That adult child has no place being a mother. I hope that boy finds comfort (and counseling) soon. My prayers to him.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

11 year old is old enough to microwave food in the fridge, kill time playing PlayStation, etc.

Yes, I'm sure that's what the boy told the cops. "It wasn't so bad. 

Okay. You try living that way for the same period as that boy suffered. We'll see how you turn out.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I mean, she was well aware she was unable to take care of her kid and reached out. Understandable the kid did not want to leave and all, especially since these child welfare homes are terrible in every country but geeze. All the signs were there.

Turning off the gas and seemingly not showing the kid how to turn it on for a hot bath is whack

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Seems more than a coincidence that she sought to put her son in a facility around the same time she moved in with her boyfriend. The boyfriend obviously didn’t want the son around.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In one way it is a good thing that her boyfriend did not move in with her, things could have then been a lot worse.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

GaijinjlandNov. 23  08:58 pm JST

As far as mothers go on here, she seems like one of the better ones. The boy’s alive. Anyone on here see that old 2004 Kore-Eda film Nobody Knows?

This story reminded me of Nobody Knows too. A true story and it's one of my all-time favorites.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Unfortunately there are some really sad people like this woman not just in Japan but around the world.

I wonder what kind childhood she went through to have such feelings.

We are what we are when we were younger.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

She's horrid and doesn't deserve to be a mother. How can a woman do that to the kid she gave birth to?

She needs severe punishment for negligence and cruelty.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Single moms in Japan are so bad ,

Government had to protect children

especially birth rate is too low

0 ( +0 / -0 )

owzerNov. 23  05:16 pm JST

While I think 11 years old is old enough to take care of one's self for a few days with enough preparation by the parents..

The gas in the apartment was turned off and police said the boy told them he had to take a cold bath.

THIS is not acceptable.

I've been at home alone at that age a few times but never for that long. And just giving him cups of ramen just doesn't cover it. What if he got hungry later and got into a situation where say, a cupboard or a fridge fell on him?

Child neglect at the very least. Jail her ass now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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