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Woman, boyfriend force her daughter to eat 30 pet goldfish

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Their FIFTH arrest?!?! How many times before someone does something?

39 ( +40 / -1 )

The latest arrest was their fifth since last year in relation to abuse of the child, reports said.

And the girl isn't in protective care???

38 ( +38 / -0 )

5th case? Can someone please investigate the people who are supposed to be doing the investigations? This is almost knowing abandonment !

30 ( +31 / -1 )

No damage to the daughter’s health has been reported

Very nieve comment - what about her mental health after this appauling incident and daily abuse?

19 ( +19 / -0 )

"Ogata and Egami were reportedly indicted last year for tying the daughter to a bed with rope, punching her in the face and burning her tongue with a lit cigarette. The latest arrest was their fifth since last year in relation to abuse of the child, reports said."

You see? As with the mom's who murder their children and get away with it thanks to pity, these crimes just get repeated and repeated by the same or similar people who know there is little to know punishment. Do you think perhaps NOW, being the FIFTH time for child abuse arrests, they might take the kid away, realising that her parent and boyfriend are NOT 'needed'?

Mr. Noidall: "I would love to meet this boyfriend and test his manhood."

But not the wife, eh? They are just as crazy as the boyfriends, and just as evil.

"Last month, a three-year-old girl died after her mother deliberately poured boiling water on her, causing serious burns to her face."

No surprises their. RIP to the little girl, and hope THIS mother was not let off like people who pity her probably would like.

13 ( +16 / -3 )

Serrano How long will they be locked up this time?

Next week you will see them at Pachinko parlor ...

11 ( +12 / -1 )

The latest arrest was their fifth since last year in relation to abuse of the child

And action was not taken earlier because ....?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I work with kids in the suburbs here in Japan and I've heard worse from the teachers. I've had parents come to school while hitting their kids with an umbrella so hard they broke their bones. There's a lot of stuff that goes on without being reported.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

"the couple, who live in Fukuoka Prefecture, killed the fish by pouring detergent into their tank. The girl was then forced to eat more than 30 of the fish one by one.... ... Ogata and Egami were reportedly indicted last year for tying the daughter to a bed with rope, punching her in the face and burning her tongue with a lit cigarette. The latest arrest was their fifth since last year in relation to abuse of the child"

How long will they be locked up this time?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Ogata and Egami were reportedly indicted last year for tying the daughter to a bed with rope, punching her in the face and burning her tongue with a lit cigarette.

How can a child be returned to parents who were arrested for tying her up, punching, and burning her, let alone four times in total before this most recent abuse?

Is something missing from this story? How can this be true?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

A woman forced her teenage daughter to eat more than 30 of her pet goldfish as a punishment, police and media said,

Punishment in kind? Repeated daily for a number of years!

as the country grapples with a record number of child abuse cases.

Only a "record" as people become more aware of the problem that has been around for a LONG time. As people become more aware of what abuse is this record will sadly grow over time.

And the girl isn't in protective care???

If she is 16 she could be on her own here. I hope the social services here give her the tools and education to do it!

8 ( +9 / -1 )

And I wonder if anyone gets disturbed by the fact that their pet fish were killed in such a manner?Honestly, is there any respect to animals in that country at all? In Sweden here we would be stressed over the impact of the incident: to be forced to eat your own pets that were recently murdered in front of your eyes...

8 ( +13 / -5 )

The latest arrest was their fifth since last year in relation to abuse of the child

How many arrests for child abuse does it take before the authorities in Japan will move to permanently ensure safety of a child?

As this and so many other incidents show, Japan clearly does not take issues of child abuse and children's rights and well-being seriously. The legal system here treats children like the property of their Japanese parent(s).

Japan's reputation of being a black hole for child abduction and not enabling bicultural children of divorced families access to their non-Japanese parent is yet another example of how rights of Japanese parent(s) trump those of the child's well-being in Japan.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Need some serious tough laws, this is BS, this crap should not happen, worse still the parents don't seem to think there is a problem.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Disgusting fifth time arrested the social services should be investigated and prosecuted for basic lack of ability in doing what they are there for to protect the vulnerable.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

How long will they be locked up this time?

A week or two? Then back to freedom. After all, this just happened back in June so who knows what else they did in all these 7 months. Plus this is their fifth arrest. The previous arrest was for punching her and burning her tongue while she was tied with a rope. And that didn't keep them in jail so, my guess is the punishment for forcing the girl to eat some fish (probably their pets and on top killed with detergent, just sick) will be just another slap in the hand...

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I simply question the sanity of people nowadays in this country.

The old saying of treat others the way you want to be treated doesn't seem to apply anymore...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

**Social services in this country are an absolute disgrace. How could the authorities possibly allow this girl to remain in the home after so many incidents of abuse? Yet another black mark for Japan in the world community with regard too how it continues to ignore family problems.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

The sensational headline has me scratching my head. Just wonder how far people can go in any form of punishment. I read this article, feel disgusted and know that I will probably never see what was the outcome to this 'crime'. as there is NOT usually a follow up story. Sometimes I wish there was . . .

4 ( +4 / -0 )

there is definitely a common thread in Japan amongst many parents who do the most sadistic things to their own children. Yes, there are abusive parents all over the world, but many of the parents here would be right at home as guards in Japanese POW camps from WW2

4 ( +5 / -1 )

At 16 yrs. old, I doubt that this is the five other times reported in this story are the first times, but just the 5 times that they were caught. What's not being said in the story is if the girl has some type of mental disability that is not being discussed. If that is the case, then this child would have been near impossible to place for another family to take care of, not only for that, but for also the belief in many in Japan of the "blood lines" and family ties.

What these parents have done, is shown that just because one is "blood" doesn't necessarily mean that there is a familial obligation. How can a mother do this to her child, if she doesn't want her? Yet I am sure that if she were asked 16 years ago to give the child up for adoption, she would have said no due to the fact that she didn't want someone else taking care of her blood relative.

I made the comment of if the child may have had some mental disability, the more I read this, I wonder if the mother is the one with the disability.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I hope that these two live a long life. And when they get old and sick and unable to care for themselves, but still have their "right minds" with them, I hope that they ask the daughter to take care of them. Then you will probably see here on JT another case of elderly abuse, and frankly in that case, I will be ok with it.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Alright, their latest arrest was their 5th time case since last year in relation to abuse of the child?! Why & why?! Anyway I read this news in Tokyo Reporter website yesterday. I felt concerned & worried about this young girl since after I read this news! I hope that the social services here give her education & tools to fo it! Yeah, honestly! Protective care is always needed next time too!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@sandiegoluv I think Japan might be doing way better than my own USA on this issue by far. But their response is a lot quicker than here in Japan. Why? Experience of it on a much larger scale.

Japan is no where close to the US when it comes to handling child abuse cases. In the US anyone can call and make a report and the parents will be called in. In this case and many of the ever so often reports we readers read here the parents are let go and given the child back only to kill them! In the US a bruise is enough to take a child away or if the case worker feels the child is in danger. I think you best rethink your post.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Sioux Chief: "Is something missing from this story? How can this be true?"

It's Japan.

Strangerland: "NNo no, Smith needs to be the only investigator and psychologist when it comes to mothers who kill their kids."

Lame, and proof that you have no proper retort to the fact -- and it is fact -- you tell people who condemn criminals based on the FACT they committed not to 'rush to judgement' while allowing those suggesting such women are sick to do exactly that. You can try and backtrack on your hypocrisy all you like, it's still hypocrisy.

"All he needs is a news story to determine whether or not they were able to differentiate between right and wrong."

Murder is wrong. No need to debate it. On the contrary, you need only the exact same thing to forgive them and say it's not their fault, be they people flying planes into mountains or the barrage of mothers murdering kids, as with the boiling water case, and the three cases alone this week.

pointofview: "@Strangerland, Apologizing for pathetic adult behaviour? It`s a cold place, admit it."

Exactly, but he and others LOVE to say, "Well, what she/they did was wrong, BUT it was not wrong because of - insert illness of the day here)...", and, "You are cold and lack compassion" when you talk about murderers. Classic!

And yet when you agree with them about a lack of support in general and the absolutely pathetic mess that is the welfare and safety service for kids in Japan they are so jaded about the fact that you've called them on the other stuff they don't see it and can only make comments like Strangerland's above.

I am 100% against what these people have done, as I am that of murdering mothers; I don't excuse it because of mental illness or otherwise when so many others who suffer don't torture and or murder their kids. Had this gone a step further and the kid been murdered you'd have them INSTANTLY attacking the boyfriend without question, while somehow suggesting the mother was a victim and not to blame, well... they'd say, "What she did was wrong, but..."

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Donald Taylor - Thats how the Japanese state works. Even in 2016, what happens to kids behind closed doors is no one's else's business but the parents. Social Services, like seatbelt laws, are only seen on paper to keep up with western practices (but of course, toothless and ineffective)

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Disillusioned:

" Oh, ok then, please tell me of another country that, in the last two weeks has had reports of child abuse cases where children have been locked in the bathroom naked during winter "

In other 120-million inhabitant nations, these cases would not even make it into the news because there is so much more worse crime going on. You are demonstrating the opposite of what you are trying to show.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Hitting children has been a big thing in Japan for a long time and those that have lived here for a long time must remember the times when fathers would "beat up" their high school children for failing in School. I remember a few times this type of punishment was aired on TV and none of the talanto or presenters battered an eyelid in terms of it being wrong.

Also a lot of Japanese have the "eye-for-an-eye" mentality when it comes to punishment. I have heard and seen parents stripping down children as young as three to their pants or nickers to be placed on the balcony for hours on end, this they think is punishment. Sadly there is a young family that sticks their young boy out on the balcony very late at night and sometimes in the rain. He screams the whole road down and no one gives a care in the world.

There are times that I have to stepped in when my wife disciplines our children, and the stories she has told me of what her father did to her can only add to why they think its ok to do to their own.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Educator - thanks for the detective work. That makes more sense than having been arrested five different times and having their daughter returned to them.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

And action was not taken earlier because ....?

. . because there has been a string of shocking incidents (child abuse) in Japan, that the authorities are just too dumbfounded to take immediate action.

the country grapples with a record number of child abuse cases.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

They had been arrested five times previously and the kid was still living there? What the hell is wrong with this country? It never ceases to amaze me how cruel and callous these abusers are. There seems to be very little love in Japan.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

@smithinjapan Ever thought about getting a job in the child welfare sector? They desperately need someone like you.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

@Strangerland,

Apologizing for pathetic adult behaviour? It`s a cold place, admit it.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

5th arrest? The parents are the only ones that should be punished.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Why they're not in lifetime jail ?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

But before we go on a Japan-bashing party, let's remember that child abuse is endemic around the world.

Oh, ok then, please tell me of another country that, in the last two weeks has had reports of child abuse cases where children have been locked in the bathroom naked during winter so the parents (mindless idiots) could go to pachinko, a mother poured boiling water into her young daughter's face and killed her, a mother strangled two of her three children, a mother smothered her three month old baby and this case. All in the last two weeks! That record is going to take some beating.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

But before we go on a Japan-bashing party, let's remember that child abuse is endemic around the world.

Yes, child abuse happens around the world, but from the article itself:

...as the country grapples with a record number of child abuse cases.

I wonder who it was that allowed the child to be returned to the parents after the second, third, fourth, and fifth arrests? Can judges or social workers be sued or punished for gross negligence? I hope so, because it seems they were grossly negligent here.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

What the hell is wrong with these people??! The poor girl is lucky she didn't suffer from poisoning too. Japan needs harsher child abuse laws.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Well then, shouldn't it be 1 ARREST and 5 CHARGES? The use of the word 'arrest' implies they were detained and released multiple times.

Poor choice of word on the part of the writer of this article.

Apparently that's the term the police uses. Whereas we would just report that additional charges and subsequent indictments were assessed, Japan refers to additional arrests. And yeah, I got suckered in by it as well.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

We should not give such a foolish punishment but usually we CANNOT do.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Daily idiocy among parents. There is no cure for stupidity, except not have kids if you are an idiot

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Police arrested the mother and her boyfriend for negligence in caring for a child.

Doesn't quite cut it really. Negligence is not doing something they should have. Something including intent to harm would have been more appropriate, abuse, assault etc.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

sandieglov - The case of US child abuse, while horrific, has nought to do with this discussion.

The focus should be on the obviously deteriorating situation here in Japan. What happpens in other countries is a distraction from acknowledging the realness and severity of the problem in Japan.

It appears the social safety network here is undermanned, underfunded, overstressed and society is frankly in a certain state of denial.

Abe should be throwing billions into the giant cracks appearing in the social strata through welfare, support, employment, education programmes etc and stop funding War Inc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Only a "record" as people become more aware of the problem that has been around for a LONG time. As people become more aware of what abuse is this record will sadly grow over time.

If numbers are rising because of increased awareness, it's actually a good sign. It may be impossible to eliminate child abuse completely, but we need to work to create a society that clearly says "this is what abuse is. It's wrong. The people who do it won't go unpunished" and bring cases like these into the light more instead of letting it stay under the rug.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nutters are everywhere but I have to say japanese ones tend to be more creative. Torture gold fish and make your daughter eat them or how to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Rspca, childcare services AND psychiatrists should get involved!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Browny1 - I was not trying to distract attention from here. And if you read carefully you would have seen where I said

I find it pathetic that this child was not removed a long time ago. That is just crazy and child protective services here is just pathetic.

As a very,very long time resident here, this is nothing new at all. The fact that it is actually reported is something odd, because in many countries including my own, and most likely yours as well, it would not even be considered a story.

It appears the social safety network here is undermanned, underfunded, overstressed and society is frankly in a certain state of denial.

Are you a professional? Have you researched the numbers or is that just an opinion because you read of another case of an abused child and feel that this story and a few others like it are basically how things are? I was with you right up until that last part. "state of denial". I don't think anyone at all is in a state of denial. I think there are a lot of foreign people here who wish to think that way. And that is why I posted EXACTLY what I did because I know the situation is far worse in my own country than it is here and I prefer a bit of humility as opposed to the -sky-is-falling-on-Japan-because-they-are-so-clueless nonsense that goes on here so often.

Abe should be throwing billions into the giant cracks appearing in the social strata through welfare, support, employment, education programmes etc and stop funding War Inc.

While I agree that he should be spending more on the issues that you mention, the war inc comment gave me a chuckle. I am not trying to be rude. But wouldn't it be nice if it were all that easy. Have a nice day.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Why is this child still with these parents?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Once again, Japan's justice system fails spectacularly. Very disturbing that there are so many laws and procedures needed to stabilize situations like this that are once again... severely lacking in Japan's law system.

This young girl should not be around her f'ed up parent's any more... especially since they have a history of child abuse. What the HELL!?!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

nowhere in this story does it say they were released after any of the five arrests, nor that the daughter was returned to them after any of the arrests. It's quite common for people already in custody to be rearrested on new/additional charges.

Good point. The article does sound damning the way it's written, but the possibility you've given is very realistic. It would be interesting to find out the actual details.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

How about we keep them locked up after the first or second case?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The further incidents on which the subsequent four arrests have been based all occurred before the first >arrest. The couple have remained in custody from the >time of the first arrest.

Well then, shouldn't it be 1 ARREST and 5 CHARGES? The use of the word 'arrest' implies they were detained and released multiple times.

Poor choice of word on the part of the writer of this article.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

whats wrong with eating gold fish, and why my post about fish fat being nutritious is off topic?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Readers, other countries are not relevant to this discussion.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

delicatessen! gold fish are very healthy

0 ( +0 / -0 )

no chocolate sauce with those fish? ( mc donalds style )

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How many arrests for child abuse does it take before the authorities in Japan will move to permanently ensure safety of a child?

On a whole though, unless there is a grandparent to take care of the child, there is a shortage in Foster care and most kids get institutionalized until 18 with little to no support after release.This is a time for a caring grandparent or relative to reach out if she has one.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

this story is horrendous but since it's from afp, i take it with a grain of salt. their journalistic integrity is sorely lacking when it comes to a balanced story regarding japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

well, its eatable, maybe they wanted her to consume more fish fat?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

you tell people who condemn criminals based on the FACT they committed not to 'rush to judgement' while allowing those suggesting such women are sick to do exactly that.

What hypocrisy? They ARE sick, whether it be insanity, depression, or just disgusting.

he and others LOVE to say, "Well, what she/they did was wrong, BUT it was not wrong because of - insert illness of the day here)..."

I have never claimed that. You keep attributing other people's comments to me, and when I point that out you just run away and never admit you are wrong.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

the plot thickens

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@sangetsu ...as the country grapples with a record number of child abuse cases. Very true point. The issue is being grappled with.

As for the system, it does need to be overhauled so that it can better deal with these situations. The police really do not want to uproot children and put them into orphanges here because the adoption rate is so minuscule compared to other countries in the west. Japanese people just don't adopt children very often and the kids languish in the centers for children until they are old enough to leave. I am not saying that this children should stay. Heck no. Get them out of there. But then placement issues become a huge problem. They are always hoping that the families can get a grip through counseling or self-evaluation.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Wow! Goldfish Sashimi!

But joking aside...how the hǝll you can torture a kid...and that too, your own kid? No wonder these kids gets a knife and shove it to the parents!

Child welfare can not save the kids from abuse...especially when the abusers are parents. It needs teachers, neighbors to report these to police. And these parents needs to be castrated. Or, on 2nd thought, force the mother to be surrogate to increase Japanese population! (That's he little Hitler in me talking)

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

In cases like this I think of the old punishment of "an eye for an eye". If these sub-humans were tied up, burned with cigarettes, forced to eat dead pet goldfish, and anything else they did to their child, they might learn something from the experience. Instead, they will likely get a suspended jail sentence, and no other punishment. It would be nice if their photos were published along with their names, they might enjoy a little more shame.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

looks like JapanToday mod has a period today or a bad hair day... 5 of my posts removed for offtopic which they aint... have some tea dear and chill

Moderator: You're not the best judge of whether or not your posts are off-topic.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

They should be punished in the very same way that they abused the daughter, then they'd know how cruel it is.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The latest arrest was their fifth since last year in relation to abuse of the child, reports said.

This just astounds me. Four arrests in a 365 day span for abusing the child, and the courts allowed the child back into that hell for a FIFTH round of abuse?! How many times does it take before the judges are convicted of negligence?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Honestly, is there any respect to animals in that country at all?

Do you really think these people are representatives of Japanese people overall?

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

I find it pathetic that this child was not removed a long time ago. That is just crazy and child protective services here is just pathetic.

But before we go on a Japan-bashing party, let's remember that child abuse is endemic around the world. And honestly, child abuse stories like this and far worse are so rampant in some countries, and that may be yours, that it does not even get reported because it is an every day occurrence.

Overall U.S. child abuse statistics:

Every 10 seconds a child is abused or raped 3.3 million child abuse reports in 2010 For every report 2 more go unreported = many millions abused annually 61,000 reports to Child Protective services per week = 6 per minute Of 1.5 million runaways 85% are fleeing some form of abuse Only 10% of abusers do not know their abuser well Abuse victims = about 48% male, 52% female Every race and religion sees child abuse

I think Japan might be doing way better than my own USA on this issue by far. But their response is a lot quicker than here in Japan. Why? Experience of it on a much larger scale.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

@smithinjapan Ever thought about getting a job in the child welfare sector? They desperately need someone like you.

No no, Smith needs to be the only investigator and psychologist when it comes to mothers who kill their kids. All he needs is a news story to determine whether or not they were able to differentiate between right and wrong. He's quite amazing really, seeing as it takes the current lot hours and days of investigations and interviews to determine this, and it only takes him a couple of paragraphs on Japan Today.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

I don't think anyone here is particularly entitled to saying whether the mom was right or wrong or the psychological state of the woman at the time of the crime. We are not here to justify actions. Truth is, this is what happened and it doesn't matter why she did it. The fact that she did alone is what's of concern here, I think.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

I haven't apologized for anyone's behavior, and I disagree with the statement that Japan is a cold place.

-10 ( +6 / -16 )

Eating the goldfish will not hurt you, unless you are a light eater, but the detergent is yuckers.

-19 ( +3 / -22 )

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