Mother gets suspended sentence for complicity in fatal abuse of daughter

Battered partner syndrome is real and powerful.

In November 2017, Mia wrote in a school questionnaire that she was being bullied by her father and was subsequently taken into protective custody for seven weeks. But a local education board was found to have handed the man a copy of Mia's questionnaire.

After her protective custody ended, with the welfare center approving her return to her parents, no visits were paid to her home by officials of either the center or the school to check on her safety.

A member of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said in February the case demonstrated a crucial lack of responsibility on the part of the adults involved.

A government project team reviewing the response of the welfare center and the school concluded on Wednesday that the Kashiwa child welfare center's assessment of abuse risk was inadequate.

The joint team of the welfare and education ministries said the center's decision to end the protective custody of Mia in December 2017 was based on "insufficient investigations" and it failed to effectively use assessment tools or evaluate the impact of the spousal abuse.

These few paragraphs depict the real tragedy behind this little girl's death.

The defendant was the sole person who could have extended help (to Mia) 

....apart from everyone else involved that is....

you need a license for everything except having kids. some people are not qualified to reproduce

A suspended sentence?

The child died, starving, freezing and alone, and this animal doesn't spend a single day inside?

Wow, the victim card really trumps everything in this neck of the woods, doesn't it?

Despicable travesty.

since when does bipolar disorder prevent you from stopping the death of your own child? give me a break. she is just as culpable in the murder of her daughter as her husband. lock them both away and sterilize them.

I agree with Dango Bon. Yes, the gov. authorities should have done more, but the parents are ultimately responsible for their kids. This couple never should have had a child. But, it's their right to do so, and this tragedy is the result.

The Father should get life in Prison for treating his Daughter the way he did!

Let’s not forget mother was also a victim. Perhaps she was just a victim of her own stupidity, but a victim just the same.

The list of things that could, should, would have been done in this case are extensive. However, the inadequacies in mental health care and family support service and intervention by these groups are what directly lead to this little girl’s persistent abuse and eventual death.

She's just as guilty as the filth that murdered her.

Yer great message and example your setting, same as the suspended sentence yesterday for some pimp, pathetic.

Fine. But if she is going to be allowed to go free, she should be sterilized to ensure she does not have the ability to put any other children in a similar situation.

OK, she was a victim, she had mental anguish, she needs help and you let her walk free. That is it? What kind of help are you going to provide for help after this instead of just letting her go home to relax on the sofa?

"We want you to think about Mia and spend your days reflecting on yourself" while remaining in society, Koike said after handing down the ruling.

Idiot.

The authorities shouldn't walk away scott free either as they sent the child back to her killer -

The judge needs to do some "reflecting" as well. I understand the mother too was abused and had mental issues so in a way she is also a victim. So, how about the father who did all these evil things to his daughter? In order to do those torturous acts one must be mentally unstable and most probably mentally "ill" as well. Giving the mother a slap on the wrist is not enough. But, if the judge gives the father a similar sentence then this judge will deserve a slap on the face to begin with.

I hope she regrets it for the rest of her life.

Why a suspended sentence, why?

In November 2017, Mia wrote in a school questionnaire that she was being bullied by her father and was subsequently taken into protective custody for seven weeks. But a local education board was found to have handed the man a copy of Mia's questionnaire.

After her protective custody ended, with the welfare center approving her return to her parents, no visits were paid to her home by officials of either the center or the school to check on her safety.

A member of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said in February the case demonstrated a crucial lack of responsibility on the part of the adults involved.

This is rampant at all levels of bureaucracy in Japan a good to many public servants, police and politicians wouldn't move out of their own shadow if they were on fire. Here's the saddest result.

Told you it would be a suspended sentence or nothing at all. TIJ.

What would be the reason for jailing her?

What would be the reason for jailing her?

An utter lack of understanding about battered partner syndrome.

Why are people on this site so unsympathetic and judgemental?

Why are people on this site so unsympathetic and judgemental?

It's the Age of Outrage, and people are angry.

After her protective custody ended, with the welfare center approving her return to her parents, no visits were paid to her home by officials of either the center or the school to check on her safety.

Amazing

What would be the reason for jailing her?

She was convicted of being complicit in the abuse. Now, I accept this women was brutalised by her husband and needs our sympathy and help but she nonetheless broke the law.

She was convicted of being complicit in the abuse.

Yes, and she was found guilty. But that doesn't answer the question. What purpose would be served by her imprisonment?

The case has attracted international attention, with problems uncovered in the way a child welfare center, her school and other local authorities responded to Mia's repeated calls for help."

I just hope that Japan get its act together for the sake of children, and improve children welfare system to protect, and look after children, if not we will be seeing a lot more of these case on J news unfortunately.

"local education board was found to have handed the man a copy of Mia's questionnaire."

how dumb can you get? the local authorities need to be questioned over this unforgivable act/decision this act just added fuel to a volatile man. Japan need to have a code of conduct, where children can be safe guarded from violent adults and parents.

@Strangerland What purpose would be served by her imprisonment?...There doesn't need to be a purpose as long as shes locked away looking at 4 concrete walls deprived of all personal freedom 

Ahh, so the purpose is vengeance. That sounds like a real healthy society.

They should both hang! I doubt there'd be a lack of volunteers to pull that lever!

I'm so torn on this. I don't doubt the mother was a victim as well but how on earth do you allow this to happen to your child? Any child for that matter. The entire system failed this little girl and only the dad will be held responsible?

local authorities need to be questioned over this unforgivable act/decision this act just added fuel to a volatile man. Japan need to have a code of conduct, where children can be safe guarded from violent adults and parents.

While it is easy to blame them now that the kid died, imagine the scenario without the death. If the authorities had refused to show information concerning their daughter to a parent, it can be viewed as an infringement on the parent's parental and custodial rights and it may not have ended well for those who took the initiative to refuse. The balance of interests was unclear and in that case, it is at least understandable for the on duty staff to instinctively avoid the option that would immediately result in an infringement.

So I do agree with the Code of Conduct business - they need a positive regulatory / legal basis for refusal.

@StrangerlandToday 03:40 pm JST

Yes, and she was found guilty. But that doesn't answer the question. What purpose would be served by her imprisonment?

Generalpravention. The reality is that the suspended sentence looks a lot like "no punishment" or at least "no imprisonment" to the masses, and while it is said that long prison sentences don't necessarily increase the deterrence factor for the population, it's harder to believe prison has no deterrent value. Making it clear that prison awaits those taking the wrong action is part of pushing the population to make the right one.

Kazuaki Shimazaki

"Making it clear that prison awaits those taking the wrong action is part of pushing the population to make the right one.'

Well that certainly does not seem to be the case in the U.S. which has the largest prison population per capita in the world. It is just vengeance, plain and simple.

That woman is going to suffer for the rest of her life even without sending her to prison to satisfy the bloodlust of people who know nothing about her circumstances.

Thank you Kitty. That’s pretty much exactly in line with what I would have said.

So what would you do with such a human if your the judge?

I don’t know, not having heard the evidence. But guilty with a suspended sentence has seem reasonable in similar cases. See Hello Kitty’s post for further understand.

screw this leniency