crime

Parents arrested for beating young son with cane

20 Comments

Police in Sapporo have arrested a 31-year-old man and his 29-year-old wife on suspicion of abusing their son by hitting him with a cane.

Police said Yo Kawaguchi, who works in the painting industry, and his wife Mai, who is unemployed, are accused of beating their son, who is younger than 10, with a cane between 9:30 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. on March 1 at their apartment in Chuo Ward, Kyodo News reported.

Police said the boy was hit in the face and buttocks. His school notified child welfare authorities who contacted police about a case of possible child abuse.

Police said Kawaguchi has admitted hitting his son and quoted him as saying he did it to discipline him, not to hurt him. His wife has denied hitting the boy.

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20 Comments
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Whacked with a cane? For us '80s kids, that was called "Tuesday night".

5 ( +11 / -6 )

saying he did it to discipline him, not to hurt him

Hmmm. So, the intention was not for sadistic pleasure, at least. In the normal way, using a cane for discipline without causing pain seems to be paradoxical. The hurt was surely part of the "discipline".

3 ( +7 / -4 )

A cane eh. Old school.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

That cane has never been broken even hit the metal. These parents doing torture, not a discipliner

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Animals. The kid doesn't stand a chance unless he can find some relatives to take care of him.

Either way, hes got a rough road ahead of him.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Wait until please release them on just an apology and small fine, then he's really gonna get it!

Seriously, great on the school for acting, but the police and courts will do ZERO to protect the boy and social services doesn't budge until there's a corpse, and then only grudgingly do so to deny they were ever involved or knew about it.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Read a story in the Mainichi today.

70% of Japan's 2nd-generation Jehovah's Witnesses 'whipped' before school age: survey.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

That was regular school discipline in my day, saw many tough school bullies balling their out after that torture over the knuckles. In hind sight I think the principle and teachers enjoyed it they were sent up for next to nothing. Glad those days are gone. I never hit my child !

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Read a story in the Mainichi today.

70% of Japan's 2nd-generation Jehovah's Witnesses 'whipped' before school age: survey.

Another crucial contribution that explains poor Kawaguchi's plight.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

From historical times till today parents and schools everywhere in the world have punished children with the cane. It depends on how often and how severe the beating is and for what reason for it to be classed as cruel and abusive.

I was 10 years old in a school in Malasia when my teacher, suspecting I was copying, said, ''Come up here! Hold out your hand! As I did, he said, ''The other side!'' I did and, his cane came down on my middle fingers.

''Now, go stand at the back of the class until dismissal!'' As I stood there crying in pain, I looked at my hand to see the middle finger rise up half an inch and blue-black, I ran back to my desk near his, collected my books and before neither he or the class knew it, I took the ink-well from my desk threw its contents at his face and clothing and, ran home crying. I was expelled from the school. At the end of the first year at my new school, my teacher told to step out the class with him, and said, ''Stephen, did I not tell you twice to tie up your shoe laces?'' ASt once I stooped to tie them up and, was in tears when I stood up. Mr Vendergasalam takes hold of my shoulders and, looking me in the eye says, ''Stephen, one yearago when you first came to my class, the headmaster warned me to beware of you,. but there was no need to because, I found you to be the nicest boy in my class.'' As my face crumples up, Mr Vendergasalam hugs me and dries my tears with his handkerchief. Today, 83 years later, I remember the scene as clearly as if it is now just happening.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This will stay in his memory for ever and when he grows up, he will want revenge.....

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Another pair of vicious bullies who think violence is the answer - it'll be interesting to see if they get a custodial sentence for this assault, and if the child can be placed in a safe household. The prognosis doesn't look at all safe for the boys future if he's allowed to remain with the 'parents'.....

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I've always said Japanese culture was half a century behind the rest of the world. Using a cane to discipline kids proves it.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Funny,but I never thought to hit my child in the face with any type of object

Why do some people feel that it is necessary?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I was disciplined by spankings. But as the boy had been hit in the face (big NO NO for spankings), then it can be classified as abuse. After a certain age, spankings should no longer be used for disciplining children (I'd say stop spanking after 7-8 years of age. Parents should be allowed to spank their young children. "The seat of wisdom". I will emphasize the word spanking is different than beating and whipping. Children easily understand immediate punishment and consequences for doing bad or harmful things.

"Spare the rod, spoil the child" rings very true, as I see plenty of children, teens, and young adults who literally have no boundaries or limits to how they treat or behave around others in modern society.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

BoboMar. 17  06:21 pm JST

That was regular school discipline in my day, saw many tough school bullies balling their out after that torture over the knuckles. In hind sight I think the principle and teachers enjoyed it they were sent up for next to nothing. Glad those days are gone. I never hit my child !

This is nothing but sadistic egotistical abuse. "Spare the rod, spoil the child" is an Old Testament reference used as an ego-enhancing weapon for abusive parents who think they're 'Christian'. It's 2023. There are more effective and less savage ways to discipline a child.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Police said Kawaguchi has admitted hitting his son and quoted him as saying he did it to discipline him, not to hurt him.

You hit the kid in his face with a cane! That would hurt! What were you expecting? The results of a pillow fight? I also see he was using the old method of discipline through great fear! That always works out well until we see the kid in the news a few weeks later tlking about "I just wanted to hurt somebody!"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Corporal punishment happened when I was at school but now not allowed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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