Police said Thursday that a woman whose body was found in a burned-out apartment along with her husband in Kawasaki on Monday was strangled to death before the fire.
According to police, the woman who was in her 50s, had consulted police about being abused by her husband in August, TBS reported. Police said the woman did not want to press charges for the sake of her 15-year-old daughter who lived with them. Police advised her to go to a shelter until she could decide what she wanted to do.
The woman stayed with relatives until September and then consulted police again, saying she was worried about her daughter and that it would be best if she returned home. TBS quoted an officer as saying he advised the woman not to return home, but she decided to do so anyway.
According to police, a fire broke out at around 6 p.m. on Monday.
The couple's daughter was not at home at the time of the fire, police said.
© Japan Today
14 Comments
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ControlFreak
The headline reads like an attempt to blame police for this. Why not change it to: Woman whose body found after home fire was strangled by husband or was a victim of DV.
The police advised her but she went back to him. Nothing the police can do.
Of course that won't stop commenters from blaming the cops; commenters who only read headlines.
combinibento
Agreed, if this woman wants to risk her life because she wants to be with her kid, there is not much more the police can do. She was not exactly following their instructions...
sillygirl
I agree.
SauloJpn
No charges to the husband yet?
Okinawamike
Would be kind of hard to do now.
602miko
agreed no one's to blame here ... she decided to go back after the police adviced,
Sensato
Under Japanese law, the husband would get sole custody of the daughter were the wife to leave him while her daughter was under his roof. Given the obviously deranged nature of the husband, the poor woman probably feared more for her daughter's safety than that of herself. It sounds like she was really trapped in a lose-lose situation. Tragic.
Mirai Hayashi
Poor daughter.
ControlFreak
@Sensato--She could have taken the daughter her with her. The girl is 15. By the time the divorce got settled, I don't think custody would be an option.
Besides, she declined to press charges. If she had I don't think there would have been anything to stop her removing the daughter from the home, or the daughter removing herself.
Disillusioned
I think the reason this happens so often in Japan is due to the fear and uncertainty of separation. I remember reading a study that was done recently that stated 60% of couples contemplate divorce but won't go through with it for fear of losing their future and hurting their children. So instead, they stay together, their kids grow up in a shitty home environment and incidents like this one just keep on happening over and over again. The laws in Japan for divorce, property settlement, joint custody sand child support really need to be updated. It would help prevent this kind of incident happening so regularly.
goyabento
I hear what you're saying, but I don't see how this would've helped in this situation. Property settlement and child support judgements would likely have been against the husband, as well as a streamlined divorce process (if he didn't want to get divorced.) It appears he was intent on killing the wife...even though she wasn't going to leave him...based on what the article reads and her actions.
freeWill
I read the forewarning by Control Freak, all right, but this does not settle an issue which is:
What is the most important thing, and prime reason for existence of the Police force,is it to catch criminals or prevent a crime?
TheDevilsAssistant
Sad. In an instant a teenage girl lost both parents. That's got to be hard to deal with.
freeWill
My bad. The Italics and should have read "...prime reason for existence of the Police Force..." I inadvertently hit the submit button prematurely without intending to.
Condolences to the bereaved.