Woman gets 4 1/2 years for causing son's death with pepper powder

Saturday 10th January, 06:47 AM JST

OKAYAMA —

The Okayama District Court on Friday sentenced a woman to 4 1/2 years in prison for causing the death of her son by force-feeding him hot pepper powder two years ago. The three-judge panel found that Miyuki Mitsunaka, 33, forced ‘‘shichimi togarashi’’ pepper powder into the mouth and throat of her 4-year-old son Kakeru at their home in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, in western Japan, on Jan 3, 2007. The boy subsequently choked to death.

During court hearings, Mitsunaka denied the allegations and said that when she found something unusual about her son, his mouth was all red.

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Latest 15 of 34 Total Comments Show All

AlfGarnett at 05:51 PM JST - 10th January

What a cow!! She should get life with hard labour. Hope the Japanese prisons aint like BRitish Butlins ones, and she suffers. But the sentece is pathetic. Evil bitch like that don't desrve to be society.
BBLeo at 06:23 PM JST - 10th January

If judges believe her what she said in her defense, I don't and I'm sure that majority of the public would agree with me. Why just so short sentence? Just as well sent her free, and find her job in pepper factory. She is mentally ill and belongs to 'mental paradise' for good. Does she like pepper? In jail they can perform some testing on her or could give her job in kitchen.
Disillusioned at 06:37 PM JST - 10th January

She should be locked up in an institution and not a prison although, I'm sure there are many other insane mothers abusing their children in more sadistic ways than this. It just that they haven't killed anybody yet, so their crimes go undetected. - It's also weird she said she didn't intend to kill the kid. It makes one wonder what her intentions actually were and what sick and twisted thoughts would lead her to do such a despicable thing to a child, better less her own kid. The Prime Minister should step in with his catholic beliefs and give her a bit of 'an eye for an eye' treatment. I'd love to see this loony squirm as her mouth was filled with pepper. They could also video it and post it on U-tube. Sadistic b*tch!
Potsu at 07:10 PM JST - 10th January

Man ! What kind of undeveloped country is this ??? 4.5 years ? Geez...that's embarrassing for Japan.
gogogo at 09:50 PM JST - 10th January

Why would anyone do that? I find it hard to believe someone would force feed a child this but again this is Japan.
JapanHusker at 11:12 PM JST - 10th January

"Apsara at 04:16 PM JST - 10th January I think we can safely assume she WASN'T charged with murder, and didn't plan to kill her son. Who uses pepper to kill someone? Did you even know it was possible to kill someone with pepper? I doubt the mother did either."

Ummm, then who did, Mr. WIzard? The SHICHIMI FAIRY? Apologist. Get over it. Evidence was against her. She got busted for it and received a slap on the wrist compared to what she should have gotten. Another out of control, psycho pathetic parent taking their anger out on their helpless kid. 4 1/2 years? Bah! Wish she'd rot in there.
martyman at 12:06 AM JST - 11th January

I hope this woman was in prison for the past two years. If she was allowed to be in the general public, it could of gave her another chance to murder another child with pepper. I wish her son RIP.
OhioDonna at 12:25 AM JST - 11th January

I know many children have died from drinking caustic liquids (gasoline,etc.) However is is very rarely that they will eat something nasty tasting. I am a genealogist and have seen many death certificates of children. With the cause of death from ingesting something, the something ingested is most often a liquid. I suppose the liquid goes down before they can spit it out. I cannot imagine a child eating enough hot pepper to kill them. But on the other hand, I have seen many death certificates with the cause of death listed as 'choking'. (Usually on a piece of food.)
PaizuriSan at 12:47 AM JST - 11th January

If she did intend to kill why not take a knife, fork, pen, a plastic bag, a pan, or her HANDS! Why pepper?
PichuTanaka at 08:36 AM JST - 11th January

Just sick. People really do bable about nothing.
Stonecoldsoba at 09:11 AM JST - 11th January

I don't believe for a moment that she ever intended to kill him. Seems to me she intended to punish him but had rather unusual ideas of what constitutes a reasonable punishment (both the nature and extent of the punishment). Maybe that's what some of us call 'stupidity'.
bobcatfish at 12:55 PM JST - 11th January

what do you meant the nature and extent of the punishment? the nature is jail and the extent is 4 1/2 year. the average sentence for murder in australia is about 3 years.
borscht at 04:56 PM JST - 11th January

PaizuriSan,

Why pepper?

Knife, fork, etc leave marks. With pepper she could (and did) say he choked, not my fault. And, she hoped, get away with it. Or she was just being sadistic because her son did something she didn't like, like cry, and she grabbed the first thing that would make him suffer.
Stonecoldsoba at 11:24 PM JST - 11th January

Bobcatfish:

what do you meant the nature and extent of the punishment?

Seems to me in this case the nature was force-feeding something unpleasant; the extent was until he choked to death.
Sammi33 at 09:05 AM JST - 12th January

wow, most kids know not to go near red pepper, and if they do try a bit of it (the cap usually has a tiny hole so not a lot comes out at one time) they freak out. And the punishment for dirty words is WASHING the mouth with soap. Not eating it. You open the child's mouth, rub some soap on the tongue, and make them rinse it.