Police in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture, have charged a 31-year-old unemployed woman with parental neglect resulting in the death of her three-year-old daughter.
According to police, Nana Nagano neglected to get medical attention for her daughter Saki who suffered fractures to both her legs after being abused in December 2021, Kyodo News reported. Nagano is also accused of hitting Saki’s face on Dec 23.
Saki was taken to hospital on Dec 29 when she died due to a brain injury. Doctors notified a child welfare center about a case of possible child abuse after finding that Saki’s legs were fractured, as well as bruises on her face.
At the time, Nagano worked part-time at a karaoke parlor. Her 37-year-old boyfriend was also living with her and Saki. Police believe the abuse started when he moved in at the end of November. They allege that Nagano and her boyfriend knew that Saki’s legs had been injured but refused to take her to a hospital. It wasn’t until she lost consciousness on Dec 29 that they called for an ambulance.
Nagano and her boyfriend were both arrested in January on suspicion of abusing Saki. However, the man died in an apparent suicide while in a detention facility in Saitama Prefecture.
On Tuesday, police changed the charge against Nagano from assault to parental neglect resulting in death.
© Japan Today
31 Comments
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NAM
Rest in peace little one, I hope justice will be served.
Lindsay
What can you say to an article like this? Child abuse and neglect resulting in death and a suicide. Thinking about the suffering of the little girl with broken legs and a brain injury just makes me want to cry.
miss_oikawa
Holy cow, how do people like this exist..
Mocheake
It makes my blood boil reading these types of stories. Poor child never had a real chance. RIP. Hope these two get the lengthy prison sentences they deserve.
Mocheake
Hope she gets the lengthy prison sentence she deserves.
Random
With her boyfriend dead she and her lawyer will be concocting their story that he was responsible. Hopefully the judges will see through that fairy tale.
Restless
Hope they keep her on a very close suicide watch 24/7 so she doesn’t get the chance to take the same coward’s way out as the vile boyfriend.
snowymountainhell
Sad. May little Saki finally rest in peace once just is truly served and mother is sentience’s with the maximum punishment allowable by law.
nakanoguy01
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Isn't it suspicious that the abuse started when the boyfriend moved in? And then he commits suicide after being arrested? He seems like one of those passive aggressive wankers that likes to inflict abuse on those weaker than him.
Simon Foston
RestlessToday 05:58 pm JST
I think he had the right idea, personally. One less person like that in the world using up air, food, water and medicine is not a bad thing.
diobrando
Life jail with broken legs, that's all what she deserves...RIP little angel, one more T_T
purple_depressed_bacon
I hope they throw her in the darkest, dankest jailcell they can find and throw away the key. Just...why and how could any individual, let alone a parent do that to a child? What is wrong with the world?!
therougou
Why can't they charge both?
Martimurano
What an horrendous case - But, why on earth are the police not charging her with murder ??
The couple inflicted the mortal injuries on the poor little girl, then refused to take her into hospital for treatment with a chance to survive, (and maybe fostered to a loving childless couple)......
The guy topped himself inside as he knew he'd swing for this murder.
There seems to be something very wrong with the Japanese justice system here, it just doesn't add up.
Maybe she'll do the decent thing and top herself, bring some closure all round to this extremely upsetting scenario.
Mr Kipling
therougou....
Well, the article does mention....
The boyfriend being dead kind of complicates charging him.
Sanjinosebleed
An eye for an eye! One down one to go!
Random
@Mr. Kipling, both as in assault AND parental neglect.
El Rata
Perhaps some rope with a side of long drop is in order かなーー
tKjoE
The woman should get locked away for a long time but will probably say she is sorry and get a short suspend sentence and back working part-time karaoke parlor.
Mr Kipling
Random...
Ah..I see... I guess they charge on the most serious crime? Should be murder.
smithinjapan
Didn't a mother in Saitama just kill her two children and herself yesterday? We're almost at two moms killing their kids a day now... and those are just the ones we hear about.
kaimycahl
Perhaps the mom will do herself a favor and do what the bf did!!
However, the man died in an apparent suicide while in a detention facility in Saitama Prefecture.
therougou
@Mr Kipling
Yeah, my English was a bit bad there. I meant why can't they charge her with both offenses?
Sven Asai
That is such tragic. I have no words for such a brutal crime and don’t understand how a mother can act in such ways. Maybe it’s better for Saki-chan now, hard to say that, but resting in peace might be better than to be alone or exposed many further years to that ‘family’ or this world at the edge in general.
Martimurano
No-one's explained yet, why is this not murder ??
Strangerland
Who said it’s not?
painkiller
StrangerlandJune 2 11:49 pm JST
The article:
On Tuesday, police changed the charge against Nagano from assault to parental neglect resulting in death.
Strangerland
Um, that quote doesn't make the claim it was not murder. It states what the current charges are, not what the charges weren't, nor what they won't be.
So again, I see no one saying that this wasn't murder, nor that the suspect won't be charged with murder, so who said it's not?