Police said Tuesday they have arrested a 23-year-old woman for allegedly assaulting her newborn twins.
The woman, who has been named as Ayana Nakano from Shizuoka, is accused of assaulting her two-week-old babies in March of last year during a trip to her parents' house in Fukuroi, Fuji TV reported. The attack allegedly included dashing them on the ground, causing serious injuries.
The attack came to light after the children underwent a medical check a month after their birth. Medical staff reportedly became suspicious and contacted child services.
A police investigation has revealed that one of the babies sustained a fractured skull in the attack, from which she took three months to heal. The other child sustained injuries to her head, arms and legs which police say took a month to heal, Fuji reported.
During police questioning, Nakano was quoted as saying that she couldn't sleep because the children wouldn't stop crying at night. She said she panicked and lashed out at them.
© Japan Today
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Patrick Hagger
A fractured skull and injuries to the head, arms and legs which took months to heal should result in her being prohibited from being in the childern life. This is a case for no less than life in prison.
nsg79
this is disgraceful. it also states that the attacks happened at her parents house yet were only discovered a month later during a check-up...seems incredible (if not impossible) that the other family members did not realise something had happened to these babies. am sure this aspect will not be investigate though - hope she gets locked up for a long time.
KariHaruka
Disgusting and I hope that she gets a heavy sentence and that she will never see her children again.
Mirai Hayashi
Yeah. Newborns do that...should have thought of that before getting pregnant.
Poor babies...what a way spend their first weeks of their lives..
nath
eye twitches
Nicky Washida
While I sympathise with an exhausted new mother - my God! Every newborns Mother is exhausted, twins especially so. Its kind of what happens when you have a baby. Did it not occur to this woman that causing injuries to a newborn serious enough to fracture a skull that she could actually have killed her child?
She should be arrested for attempted manslaughter, not assault.
Nicky Washida
Attempted manslaughter? That doesnt make sense at all! Something like attempted murder but diminished responsibility - not a legal bod. Sorry!
namabiru4me
uhg! Hate stories like these....just SICKENING!
DoLittleBeLate
Didn't know babies cry during the night? That is... beyond words. How can she function at all with that education? I guess she thought that she'd make babies and that would be all for personal development. Glad the dad was there to help... Oh yeah, that's right. No, he wasn't.
The number of cases keep rising, I see.
ace2damax
You would think she would have common sense when it comes to babies. I mean Really? Do you really have to use violence on your (fragile) newborn babies?
kakifry
Where is the father in all this? What was he doing? I have this image of him putting a pillow to his head at night and telling his wife to go stop the racket as he has work in the morning. But maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe he knew nothing about it. BTW, I bet after she assaulted the little ones they cried even louder and longer.
Samantha Zoe Aso
I in no way condone any form of child abuse at all. I'd like to know how many of you on here have twins? With a singleton babe, the parents do get to sleep a little bit. It can take twins up to 3 months to get on a simultaneous schedule, some even longer. I spent six months basically with hardly any sleep. You feed and bathe one, put that one down in it's crib, and just as you close your eyes for that much needed 5 minutes, the other one wakes up! I was a walking zombie for the first 6 months.
When I left the hospital, the staff asked me what family support I had and I explained zero. 'Oh but you have your husband!' the nurse jolted out and ticked off the box that I had enough family support. Yeah, I had my husband....who was working nearly 10 hours a day! I was basically left, a first time mummy and to twins, to fend for myself, totally alone. I managed to get through it but not without a hundred or so screaming and sobbing fits on the balcony. I always felt so blessed to have them and it kept me in check.
I really do not condone any form of child abuse at all but sometimes, the surrounding factors or lack of them should also be taken into account. I was pampered like a queen for a week after their birth but felt I was then thrown out to the wolves. Also, these poor babies were 2 weeks old. The incidence of PPD is significantly higher with a multiples mother. I think the hospitals and clinics need to take a much more aggressive stance on checking the mental health of new mothers. Back in the UK, when my sister-in-law gave birth, there was a whole host of midwives and nurses coming round to check on how she was doing. Where I lived when the twins were born, it was zero.
Poor little babies. I'd take you in a heartbeat.
Dennis Bauer
almost every week there is news like this, you would almost think that there is something wrong in Japan :(
90292
It's easy to be judgemental when the victims are so helpless, but this may also be a tragic reminder of how poorly postpartum depression is addressed in Japan.
tsukki
She just made the twins cry more by hurting them, duh!
Mike DeJong
And of course, the father is nowhere to be seen.
TSRnow
I don't think you have to compare twins to singletons. You don't need to do that to explain how difficult and tiresome it was for you. Do you actually know all mothers of single babies get sleep? How do you explain mothers having nervous breakdowns with only one child to look after?
I hate when people do that. You may not be defending this woman, but it sound like, yeah they were twins, it's so much burden on the mother what do you expect?
You must be a great mother (no sarcasm), but you don't have to put other people down to explain that.
As for this mother, no matter what the situation was, abuse has no excuse. I am very glad to hear the twins lived through this and I hope they are in good hands now.
Dilbert14
I said it million times and I'll say it again. Baby licence! Just to train stupid people like her. Why not? Isn't it obvious that most new moms can use some kind of training for how to rare a child? I'm sure these type of incidents will ceast to exist if we had the concept.
Samantha Zoe Aso
TSRnow. No way was I saying 'yeah, it was twins, what do you expect!' It is an absolute blessing to have twins or higher multiples. And actually, I do have to point out how much different the dynamics are when dealing with twins as opposed to a single birth. I have three children and little Miss No3 didn't sleep well for at least 6 months so yes, I do appreciate that one baby can cause many a sleepless night too. I am not putting anyone down but rather the knee jerk reactions on here. We are not talking about a woman who has systematically abused her babies.... well, not from the information in the article anyway.....it sounds like she was overwhelmed and snapped. Yes, all mothers or fathers can snap for that second with calamitous results. Research has shown that mums of multiples can take longer to bond with their babies and have a higher risk of PPD etc. That's the point I was making as this newstory is about a twin mum. Instead of all the knee jerk reactions akin to 'hang her high' which really bear no fruit at all, society as a whole should be looking at why this kind of abuse happens and what can be done to make things better.
nath
Babies cry. It is their job. Hurt babies wale. Really loudly and for a long time. The woman is stupid.
bicultural
I don't mean to be judgmental, but I feel that the typical 23 year old Japanese female is not emotionally mature enough to handle babies, let alone twins. I'm in my 30s, but my baby daughter REALLY tested the limits of my patience, even though I'm a father who's out working most of the time.
kolohe
Mature enough to make babies but not mature enough to be a mother!
the-grouch
Why is it that this country for being really strict and conservative, there is a lot of infanticide and child abuse? The laws need to get tougher on this type of abuse. Not to mention, psychological evaluations before the mothers and their babies are discharged from the hospital. A monthly check up on babies and a weekly check up on parents sounds adequate. I know what this person is going through, especially having twins, but there is no excuse for the abuse. It would have been wiser to ask relatives for some assistance, or even the husband, where is he is this picture? He doesn't come after work and carry his children for a bit? When I come home every night I carry my little girl, see her expressions, watch her play and I try my best to help the miss's with whatever I can. I am not there during the day BUT when I come home I AM THERE to be of any and all assistance.
Johannes Weber
I wonder whether it might be of any use to change the stupid Japanese education system. Instead of more "entrance examination" maybe some classes in child-rearing. And well, practical exams. Nice counterpoint to Juku. Would make teenager's lives more balanced.
For both sexes, naturally. It would mean that Japanese men would also at least have a basic understanding of what is going on at home. And both sexes wouldn't be that surprised once they have their own baby. People would leave school with a real sense of responsibility. They would have a real imagination of what life is about. They would be "adults".
All these training programs could be used as relief measures for working mothers. Reducing the ongoing abuse in Japan, because it reduces the stress. Just an idea - but maybe one, which could transform Japanese society.
combinibento
Forgive my ignorance, but what does "dashing" someone to the ground mean? Throwing them onto the ground? Hard to believe a 2 week old baby can survive that.
Nicky Washida
For those wondering where the father is - assuming there is a father or husband in this case, it is usual for the Mother to return to her parents home to give birth. She then stays with her Mother and sometimes also grandmother for a month or so after the birth "learning the ropes" so to speak, before returning to her marital home.
If the parents home is far away, then it is usual for the Father to stay in the marital home because of work and visit if and when he can.
Dont know if that is the case here, but it is the usual situation with new Mothers in Japan. Although TBH in my experience he wouldnt be a great deal of use even if he was there! ;)
I dont condone what she has done in any way, but I felt at times I was going insane through lack of sleep even at 33. But you pound a pillow,or you simply walk away for 10 minutes and calm down.
Riffraff
Kids do seem to mess up ones life....it all looks so simple on TV.
TSRnow
Samantha Zoe Aso, I admit, the "Yeah.." part I didn't need but I think your "how many of you her have twins?" attitude made me burst it out..., but what I wanted to say was comparing totally different situations (single babies to multiples) even if you have your research means little and does not defend this mother. (I think I understand now that it is not her you are defending.) It really does not make this a special case. Yes, from the article alone, it seems that this mother snapped, but how would you know if it would have made any difference if it's a lone child or two? The knee jerking reaction here is always the same for any mothers (or fathers) that abuse any children. I think the majority of the people just think these incidents need to stop whatever the situation.
Disillusioned
Obviously, this woman had emotional problems before she had her kids, but yet again, the system failed her. There is bugger all support for post-natal mothers in Japan and these kinds of events will continue to happen. And, I disagree with a lot of the comments relating to her never seeing the kids again. Hopefully, she 'possibly' will receive the counseling and support she needs to rehabilitate herself. However, with this being 'modern day Japan' she will just be swept under the carpet, sadly.
jamurai
I think most parents understand the frustration and anger that can build up with new babies, especially if they feel they are inadequately equipped to cope, and many will also realise how close they have come to snapping or lashing out in some way. Yes, this is a terrible crime which should be properly punished, yes she should have punched a pillow or taken a walk and that's easy enough to say in hindsight. (Avoid slamming tables by the way...dang!) Luckily these babies (unlike so many others) survived and one day, somewhere down the line I hope they will enjoy a happy and loving relationship with their mother. We obviously don't know the full circumstances, but I doubt she is a monster and she is probably living in a seriously dark place right now.
noirgaijin
There are no words that can discribe my anger over this sick woman (in this case child).
LoveNot
Another scary cruel Japanese mother. Some friends are married to Japanese women, I pray for their kids to stay alive.
Disillusioned
Lovenot - Do not make such an ilinformred generalization! There are some wonderful Japanese parents just as much as there are some hidious foreign parents.
Ms. Alexander
I can understand her feeling exhausted but....I don't understand how some people think beating a baby or child will make them stop crying. It will make them cry even more! Then you get more frustrated and end up causing more damage.
sillygirl
does anyone else here notice that this assault crime happend LAST march and it looks as though the police just arrested her. what is up with that? those kids were in danger of more abuse for a year?!?!?!?!?!? or am i somehow mistaken?
Cos
Why do they arrest only the woman (that should probably get interned for chronic nervous breakdowns) and not those grand-parents that saw the abuse in their house... I guess those Japanese inaka mansions are so vast that from the billiard room, you can't hear what happens on the 4th floor nursery, but they didn't see the wounds on the babies ? Obviously , they did nothing to prevent, didn't take the babies to ER, didn't report nothing. They covered.
3 months ? Real luck. We've had to survive 3 years of 24/24 deafening noise, not that they stopped at 3, but the school was legally forced to accept them part of the day (unlike kindergartens, child-minders and baby-sitters that all said "we don't do twins, even separated... well, not those, too noisy.). They had a perfectly alternate schedule, one sleeping, one screaming. Simultaneous ? Yes, for meal time as they wanted food at the same second, for toys, for everything they wanted the same at the same time. When someone gives birth to twins, they should hire 2 full time helpers that can relay (like Brad and Angelina did), or give one brat for adoption.
It does. It does not make it more acceptable, that's even the contrary. It's predictable that parents with multiple babies get a greater need for help (psy and material).
Yes, and her family even more.
Yourself, you've passed a test proving you can deal with twins ? If not, apply it to yourself, use double contraception (to be sure) or abstinence. I have my "twin tamer license", but after that, I've never wanted to have kids, and the 2 things are related.
tokyokawasaki
Another day in happy safety Japan...
yasukuni
Not making excuses for her in anyway, but I think the problem is that many young people in Japan have had no experience at all with babies - unlike the old days. So, even if it's just once a year, maybe there can be some lessons in school - and not just for the girls.
People need to know ahead of time what's involved, and also about post-natal depression.
Ken Ho
How could anyone do this to these adorable babies? Is she under some kind of stress?
kurisupisu
@Nicky Washida
The traditional ways of rearing children are breaking down in Japan, much like other customs that have been so familiar.Over 80% of Japanese live in cities and the number is growing. The opportunity to travel home, (if there is one), a long distance might also be due to economic concerns too. Being tired and depressed is not a positive state in which to look after babies
Although being ignorant of the mother's background I would hazard a guess and assume that some of the above points could have had a bearing on this case.
efisher
I would presume the mother is in a state of mental/psychological disorder. Doctor and social worker should be called in other than police.
Elbuda Mexicano
This woman needs to stay away from these babies!! She is way too dangerous!! No excuse for such violence against innocent babies!!
Anthony B.
She is sick and perverted. New generations of Japanese are unprepared for real life and when it happens for real they freak out. This woman should be sent to prison for a year to smarten up and understand what she did and go through some serious counseling sessions...
LFRAgain
Samantha Zoe Aso,
Thanks for your thoughtful posts. You bring a bit of calm reason to a subject that makes most of us incredibly sad, angry, and desiring of some sort of instant justice.
Having a newborn is no picnic. It requires patience and perseverance on a level that very few people without children can truly comprehend. Comments like, "Duh! Babies cry, stupid" are far from useful as they belie precisely the lack of understanding of just how much attention and commitment truly is required to raise a baby.
Babies don't just cry; they do so on their time and on their schedule. They demand the attention of the parent on their time and their schedule. And they don't really notice of care that their time and their schedule fail to coincide in the least with that of mom or dad. Proper sleep is a luxury that any new parent doing their job properly can kiss goodbye for the interim, at least until their child finds a sleeping pattern that works. And generally speaking, you aren't going to find nurses, midwives, or in-laws waiting patiently in the bedroom to pick up the slack at 2AM, five nights a week.
Sure, in the first week or two, people are fawning all over you and the baby, and you feel like you could take on the world. But that attention dies off almost as quickly as it came, and new parents really are left to fend for themselves. Having twins makes that equation even more complicated -- and exhausting -- particularly in Japanese society.
Yes, that's parenting. But it serves no purpose to be glib about it, as if to suggest that it's just another day at the office. It's hard freakin' work, folks.
To those parents out there who made it through that: I salute you for your strength and commitment.
But to those parents who would have everyone here believe it was no more challenging than, say, a trip to the supermarket, well, your experiences are not the norm.
No, contrary to what many posters will say, this is not an attempt to make excuses for a woman who clearly did a horrific thing to her children. But rather it's an attempt to point out that there are often unknown mitigating circumstances that lead parents to do some of the terrible things they do. Walk a mile in the other person's shoes, and all that. This woman clearly needed help with raising her children.
I'm relieved that the problem was discovered before these poor children could be injured again, or worse. But this story should serve as a reminder to Japanese society of yet another of the many reasons why having children in Japan has lost its appeal to so many.
Cho88
Tragic story.
As many have noted, she may have had/continue to have post-partum depression. There seems to be no other explanation readily available - the babies were injured once, not systematically. She may have just lost it in one terrible moment of stress and madness. I think all of us would like to believe that no human being could hurt a two-week old baby just for kicks. I hope it's true, anyway.
On a side note: In a wider sense, cases like this could have their causes in societal pressure. I am the same age as this woman, and I am repulsed by children. We are not all destined to be loving mothers. But I find that pressure in Japanese society to marry and create a lovely family is persistent to the point of overwhelming. You can see this pressure in practically every drama, every magazine (magazines especially - the pressure to be constantly smiling, beautiful, chic, the perfect bento cook and mother). /end side note.
Fadamor
Rationally, you'd know that assaulting an infant because they won't stop crying is NOT going to get them to stop crying. If anything, it will make the crying worse. So it's obvious the woman wasn't rational while she was committing the assault. She needs a quiet, padded room to convalesce in - preferably until the children reach adulthood.
Samantha Ueno
Maybe it's because Japan has gotten so medicalized and westernized, and there are no doulas/midwives who would actually come to your house and actively help you, instead of showing up at their office and getting a "ganbatte"...and also in the hospital they've taken to the practice of whisking baby away to another room as soon as they're out, and Mommy will also leave baby on the futon or in the crib alone at home, instead of establishing as much skin-to-skin contact as possible which can greatly reduce PPD. and Cos, wow, sounds like you really resent and hate your twins. I worked at a kindergarten and taught a set of twin boys for 5 hours almost every day from when they were 2, and to me they acted like two of any other kid, crying for mommy the first few days and then settling in and playing. They're a little more touchy-feely with each other than other kids are and I have to discourage it or other kids will start copying and touching other kids' faces, eyes, etc. But on a whole they were both great boys and I would love to have twins someday. At 3 years old, neither of them scream and they both know how to wait their turn for something. Maybe it's because they were taught??
illsayit
Nah, Samantha. It may be that it depends where you are, but there are midwives. Theyre called jousanpusan. In my experience some are good and some are so much pressure that if you cant tell them that children are not little gods, that we have to be servants to, you are in for a pressure filled time, when it should be a time of kicking back and enjoying it. Id guess this situation was like this.:A grandmother with golden righteous balls. That's the problem I see in the churches too- satan is so wiley, or maybe it's cultural. You know, kicking back and acting as if you're sick when your pregnant. Why do the churches give all the taking care of kids over to the youth, huh? Why isnt the authority given to the mothers, instead of the women who cant have children, as if they are balancing it up. As if, they know the score. Huh???Maybe it is cultural. Maybe it is that Eve bit first.
illsayit
And sorry, I shouldnt just say grandmother, I should say grandparents. There are plenty of men whose righteousness covers their closet habits.
Nicky Washida
.
Sorry Samantha, I dont mean to "pick" on you but this is exactly the kind of thinking that gets people into trouble! So you taught the twins for 5 hours a day? That sounds great, but have you ever tried teaching them every day after a few months of no more than 2-3 hours straight sleep a night, with a hacking cough and cold but you have no time to get to the doctor and with an older sibling or siblings to ferry here there and everywhere and still doing a good job of it? Thats just a small taster of what its like!
I dont mean to be rude to you, but I used to teach preschool too and believe me there is a VAST difference between teaching and being a parent, however good and caring a teacher you are, as I am sure you are. I hear so many young girls saying "Oh, the kids are sooo cute! I cant wait to have my own!" Yes, they are cute. Perhaps that is why no-one can understand what it is like to be at the total end of your rope as a parent unless you really have been there.
Your impressions of Japanese obstetrics (have you had children here?) are also way off base. They dont whisk them anywhere after they are born unless you specifically ask them to or there is a medical reason to (my second wasnt breathing when he was born so obviously they had to). Sometimes it is necessary so you can have a sleep - after 36 hours of labour for example - and even then they only do it after they have left you quietly for an hour or so together to bond. Doulas and midwives have NEVER been there 24/7 for their patients so what difference does it make whether they go to your house for an appointment or you show up at their clinic? Skin to skin contact does NOT make a significant difference to the prevalence of PND - ask any NICU paediatrician (I have worked with a few on this very topic of PND). Post Natal Stress however DOES very much (again NICU data).
Cos s opinion of having twins is realistic - because he has done the hard graft involved.
Again - like LFRAgain not condoning what this woman did AT ALL, but I agree with the comment he made of "walk a mile in someones shoes". Some woman had the nerve to have a go at me the other day because my son was crying and refusing to sit down on his bicycle seat. Yes, I was getting angry with him - just angry, not shouting or hitting him at all. She had no idea that the reason he was upset was because he didnt want to wear his safety helmet and it is non-negotiable for me (he is 2 and going through that independent choices phase). The woman didnt even have children but had the nerve to tell me how I should be handling this (after years of interrupted sleep!).
TSRnow
To shed some light into this article, the woman in question had another child (a year older than the twins), and was abusing him even before she had them. The father was working long hours so the guess is that she was on her own in raising her child.
As Nicky Washida said, she was the traditional Japanese type to go back to her own parents home to give birth. Child services where she resided were keeping an eye on her, but she travelled back home, so they contacted their counterpart close to her parents home but the damage was done before they were able to take action. (No fault on their part is assumed.)
The older son is in care of the grandparents(father's side), and the twins are currently taken care of in different homes or facilities (no information here, except for the fact they are separated).
Just for anyone who is interested.
Nicky Washida
yes, this is true, but the tradition of returning to your parents house to give birth still seems to be holding fast, even in cities like Tokyo. 9/10 of the Mothers I know returned home to give birth. Of the ones that didnt, the reasons were either that their parents already were close by, or overseas, or in a few cases sadly their Mother had died - for a few of those they went to their mother in laws or sisters house. This is from a sample of hundreds of mothers over the years - the topic of childbirth styles here versus overseas comes up a LOT in conversation!
No, it isnt but it is also the reality for everyone except a few extremely lucky ones. Having husbands who actually came home at reasonable times, and companies who enforced fathers rights to maternity leave, plus ward offices, support lines and clinics who pay more than just lipservice to supporting new mothers would go a LONG way to helping the situation. I had to fill in a quesionnaire for my third babys 1 month check. Out of interest (I was doing fine with my 3rd but just wanted to see) I ticked all the boxes for struggling, stressed, anxious, tired, depressed. I went through the form with a nurse and got nothing more than a "ganbatte, ne!" It wasnt her fault - that was all she could say. Her hands were tied to giving any other kind of help. I found out a year or so later that volunteer "grannys" will come and help you for free via the ward office - but no one had ever even mentioned that to me. A lot of people dont know about the help that is available, and help is very patchy depending on where you live
TSRnow - thanks for the additional info. Reading between the lines it sounds like - as many have suggested - her family have been less than supportive in helping her. There may be perfectly valid reasons for that. Or it may be that they simply dont care. Either way - imagine being 23 years old and on your own looking after 3 babies under 2 including newborn twins with a husband who is never home. Again - NOT condoning what she did and think she should be punished as she went way over the line - but this sounds like someone who needs help, big time.
cleo
If this incident happened while the mother was at her parents' house, it makes me wonder what the grandparents were doing. Surely it would have been obvious to them that she wasn't coping.
Debbie Itabashi
I agree wirh others that this is a tragedy. But it is just 1 fanily while there are many many others out there in simular problems with their tiny ones.
We have all seen the movies, tv shows and such where in a child development class each student must care for a baby/egg. I agree with this. Jr high 3rd year (9th grade) ... an entire year dedicated to child development. Starting off with care of pregnancy for 9 weeks. Care of an egg then a doll (mechanical with crying too if possible). Teaching about the needed essentials, food, daipers, sleep, money... Leading up to a requirement of a number of volunteer hours at a day care and/or kindagarten prior to graduation. This would not only teach boys and girls child care but it would also lower teenage pregnancy and other concerns that stem from this.
As I told my kids... Daddy and I wanted to play, so now we gotta pay.
No I dont condone what happened... It is awful, a tragidy. But it should not happen again .... Which is why things need to change on how teens perceive babies, children, adulthood, parenthood - and family care for all. Or its only going to get worse.
illsayit
It's like the righteousness in language. @grandparents.@going to grandparents to give birth. I had a lady say to me when I was carrying one of my children recently, that children are god. I couldnt keep my tongue from saying no but Ive been blessed with a bunch, and the dumb grandparent aged lady said, your first? And i swear I repeated myself 3 times. Either she has a hearing problem, I cant understand how one and an a bunch can be misheard though, or she wanted to be righteous in her pronoucement that children are god. But now I wonder oif I should do a Nicky and use freedom of speech and write for unlawful carnal knowledge in it's abbreviated form? You know just to see what happens-see how many negatives one can get in a day and all that.......
Nicky Washida
Huh???
nath
At least she was over 20.
kurisupisu
@NW Yes, there are a number of mothers that will return home and perhaps within your circle of acquaintances it may well be the case.However, with the hollowing out of industry here and the consequent downturn, we are seeing a new underclass quickly rising in Japan. If it can be assumed that loss of income and the lost opportunities which arise from this also lead to frustration and discontent then the result is negative. Within the above is a trend toward more antisocial behavior both in and out of the home. Violence directed at infants is bound to increase due to this.
602miko
so whats the punishment for that?