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Police in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, say that a 40-year-old woman who has been arrested on suspicion of killing her seven-year-old daughter had consulted police and a child welfare center about psychological abuse of her daughter in 2019 and 2021.
At a news conference on Tuesday, police revealed further details about the death of Ichika Ureshino whose body was found at her mother’s apartment early Monday morning, NHK reported. Yoko Ureshino called 110 at around 7:30 a.m. and said she had killed her daughter. Police said Wednesday that an autopsy revealed the girl had been strangled to death.
Yoko and her daughter lived alone, police said.
Police first notified the child welfare center in August 2019 after the mother told them Ichika had suffered psychological abuse. Yoko told police she had been experiencing trouble with another man, and her daughter had witnessed domestic violence at home. Staff from the child consultation center later met with Ichika, but could not find any signs of physical or psychological abuse.
In September 2021, Yoko contacted police again, saying that she didn’t know how to raise her child. She also consulted with staff at the local child welfare center about her difficulties, but no further action was taken.
© Japan Today
20 Comments
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tamanegi
Still wondering why JT didn't run this story yesterday along side the two other murder cases.
wowyz
"autopsy revealed the girl had been strangled to death"
How gruesome can you get? ....sheesh
tamanegi
@nondualism I just don't understand why a story on other msm outlets reported this yesterday but not here.
jalan5
WTF?
RINFO
Another whackerooni...
Moderator
Readers, information in the story today was not available yesterday.
tamanegi
Thankyou for clarifying moderator. Very sad and troubling story. I wonder where Ichika's extended family and father was.
RIP Ichika.
Jim
This department really needs to recruit better skilled workers who aren’t there for just collecting paychecks but actually care about child welfare and a passionate about it. Every child that has died in similar circumstances had in the past been associated with this department but they failed to provide any proper support, protection and guidance. It’s not only about training the staff properly but I feel that there are people working in this department that don’t really care.
Speed
The very definition of "dropping the ball". I should show my class this article when going over this idiom.
Sanjinosebleed
J police kicking more own goals as usual well done…
useless !
kaimycahl
Wow!!! It is obvious who had the problems. Simple hold the child welfare center and the Police in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, responsible for neglect they did nothing to help Yoko he reached out for help. I can understand looking for signs of physical abuse but can you really into someone mind and say they are or aren't suffering from psychological abuse. The child welfare center must have a staff of mind readers!!! I say get Yoko some help and put the Police and the welfare center on trial!
Yoko contacted the police several times saying she didn't know how to raise her child, the Police also notified the child welfare center on several occasions but claimed they could not find any signs of physical or psychological abuse. Yoko told the authorities that Ichika had suffered psychological abuse and that her daughter had witnessed domestic violence at home.
John
Since Yoko was able to kill her own child, she might have been planning this since 2019. To reduce her penalty, she might have contacted police and welfare offices without saying anything solid to act on, unfortunately, some people are only human in outer shape although they are pure evil creatures in reality. Obviously, police and welfare officers are at some fault too, but the murderer should suffer the heavy consequences.
602miko
Heartaches much reading news like this for killing their own child. If she doesnt know how to raise her child then give the child to her parents. Problem is their pride.
u_s__reamer
...unfortunately, some people are only human in outer shape although they are pure evil creatures in reality. Obviously, police and welfare officers are at some fault too, but the murderer should suffer the heavy consequences.
"Evil" is just an emotional nothing-burger of a word with no content or meaning useful to rational inquiry. Instead, why can't we accept that people like this mother are simply weak in every sense, psychologically damaged human animals unfit for parenthood, especially when the stress of having to raise a child alone is beyond their power to bear. Society needs to be more vigilant to prevent these damaged individuals from falling between the cracks of a less than perfect social system. Until government makes more funding and training of staff available such tragedies will continue and more young lives lost.
sir_bentley28
Another innocent child that fell through the wide open canyons (not even cracks) in the Japanese "welfare system" But you have to give the mother some credit because she knew she was having problems so the tried to get help before anything happened. Most parents keep their stresses to themselves and we just hear about it here after it happened. I would blame the system for failing the mother and her child.
gaijintraveller
It seems Yoko cried out for help but got none. Those whose job it is to help should have done their job and helped. Will any action be taken against those who did nothing to help?