Woman held for abandoning baby in toilet in Tokyo apartment block

I think they call this an unwillingness to be responsible for the fun you experienced 9 months prior.

I could throw the no empathy line, but after I started reading these stories a few times a year I still come back to the social welfare theory. Zero support, lack of education and family support. I assume the guy who did this was a classic POS as well. I guess I am pro abortion on this one. Too many unworthies bonk in Japan and then I come back to the lack of empathy in this society, bad mix. Education and hatch hotlines... Adoption services please.

These cases seem to be quite regular judging on the news; there is something wrong with Japanese women.

Why Meiko.9 months and then this?

I agree with "my2sense" But also was she thinking she could simply just flush this poor little baby down the toilet (Baby found feet first in a western toilet) Problem solved she thought.

I don`t understand this sh_t!!! This happens all of the time in Japan and the government seems to not do want to do much about this problem. The people that has doing this should be made to stand on the streets of Tokyo for 1 day with a very big sign that reads, "I gave birth to a child and left it in a public toilette to die"

The nation of Japan has got their heads screwed on incorrectly because this problem seems to be increasing without any fixation.

You sick (substitute a b for the letter w) witch! No excuses at all. No baby deserves to be left like that!! I hope and pray that misery and guilt haunts you for the remainder of your pathetic life. If you didn't want the baby you should have done something more logical 9 months prior.

It really ticks me off that women use the excuse "I didn't know what to do with it". Lady, you are 35, not 19. You know there are other means than dumping your kid in a toilet. Grow up.

This happens all over the world. doesn't public health service covers abortions? Or isn't there an adoption service in Japan?

This lady has a brain of an idiot who has no morals at all. She is a really sick individual who should not be permitted in the open public. She should be put away for a very very long time and never be let out again.

Jusus Christ! in a toilet!? WTF!? This is as bad as the lady that left her children in a hot apartment for dead a while back because she didn't want to care for them anymore. RIP to the baby. And I can't imagine the trauma that the manager is going through after seeing something like that. As for the lady, she can rot in hell for all I care.

Japanese media please inform the public (esp. women) where the baby drop off points are in japan. Baby boxes should be in every fire station.

I don't know how many are in place but they should have ads and fliers allover the place. How about passing tissue once a month at every trainn station informing women where the baby boxes are.

She woke up 3am, and didn't know what to do to the baby. If they had a baby box at the nearest fire station this baby would have gotten saved

Baby Boxes + plus advertising where to drop of babies = Should have saved this baby's life

I'm sure the government can make a cute mascot and campaign slogan for this certain circumstance. Let's make it happen people.

The japanese government can save lives, reduce the number of abortions and improve the way of life for unwanted kids.

she didnt want the baby so she threw him away in the toilet -- did she think that it would solve her problems?????? did she REALLY????????? i mean, come ON... she was and is so stupid to throw the baby away in the first place and then thought she would be free, 'cause she's NOT. hope she will be in jail fod a good amount of time and will be given time to actually regret about what she has done.

The only babyhatch so far is run by a catholic Hospital far from Tokyo.

Agree more baby-hatches are needed, they work well in many countries and have done so for a few centuries.

No comment on the mother as I am beyond words(aa speechless), and to think the wards to offer a LOT of assistance.

Guess she couldn't find the time to spend an hour at the ward office. Bah-ka.

worst case scenario.. she could AT LEAST have left the baby somewhere safe so that someone else would take the baby to an appropriate place.. KILLING the baby shouldn't have been an option.. I don't understand how anyone can do this..

She committed premeditated murder, plain and simple. She should stand trial for it too.

Why isn't she being charged with murder??

Moderator: Because the cause of the infant's death is yet to be determined.

Mental problems is just some of the issues this woman had prior to the birth. Now she needs to be dealt with as a child murderer - which in japan means she will get a 2 minute suspended sentence at the worst. Japan needs to treat these mental ones that kill their children more severly, make an example of them!! Thing is though most of these people in this country are mental but not all baby killers. Just corrupt, dishonest and stoopid!!

It does not say she killed the baby. Could have been a still born. So many of you assume she killed it. Got to read better kids.

Or isn't there an adoption service in Japan?

Adoption is not very common here, and there are apparently all kinds of obstacles to adopting a child. Most people probably wouldn't even know it was an option unfortunately.

In reverse order:

Better social services for single women (since women make far less than men do on average in Japan) and enforced child support.

More baby hatches and a promise not to harass or go searching for women who drop off babies there.

Encouraging people to adopt and to love those who are not of their family. This one is a long-shot, but it's the reason adoption isn't popular in Japan.

Cheaper pre-natal services, covered by NHI. Support for women who have very little income. Yes, you might get a refund from the government for the birth, but you still need to cough up about 300-500,000 yen or more at the time of delivery. If you're only making 150,000 a month, that would be a LOT. If your parents are dead, disowned you, or are poor themselves, then you're out of luck.

Cheaper abortion services, or a promise to cover abortion to some extent (50%?) with NHI to make it affordable for women, who make 66% of what men do in Japan. Then getting rid of that stupid rule that she has to have the guy come with her to the clinic to give permission. If the guy cut and run, that means finding a friend who is willing to pretend, and if you can't do that ...

Cheaper contraception for women, de-stigmatizing the pill (it doesn't make most people gain weight, really), making it easy to get EC and encouraging women to go to women's health clinics regularly if they're sexually active or having any sort of feminine problems (don't just gaman through it because pelvic exams are hazukashii.)

Better sex-ed for young adults in high school and probably in college too, when they're all thinking about "doing it." Pushing condoms as an effective means of stopping pregnancy and teaching women to be vocal in their demands to use said condoms. Giving women the agency and self-esteem to do what they can to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy.

And when all that is done, I will call these women who dump their babies monsters. Until then ... I see them and the babies as victims of unfortunate circumstances.

Chilling! and it happens quite often here. Gotta love this quote, "I didn’t want the baby and didn’t know what to do with it, so I left it in the toilet.” - I think that sums up the mentality very well. You can also bet she snuffed the baby beforehand. Most likely by smothering it, hence no signs of abuse. Goes well with the other recent incidents of babies being left in bicycle baskets and under the seats of scooters while the parents play pachinko. Just chilling!

This is so sad. There is a very good organization called Ai no Kesshin that is trying to help prevent such sad stories. They counsel women in need and if the women just cannot keep their babies or children, this group will find good families for them. It matters not if the child is Japanese or not, healthy or not. Each child is precious, and women also need help to see this. This is all for free and the women need not fear being "found out". I hope that this type of organization will be made known to the public.

I agree with wiskeysour. The Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ's) slogan is children first. The media along with the DPJ needs to do more to let women know about their alternatives. Counseling, drop off locations (as in Kumamoto), adoption, foster care, etc are just some of their options. It is irresponsible of the government and media not to act quickly on this issue. It is a growing problem that is not getting the attention it deserves. RIP little one.

Okay, maybe it wasn't pre-meditated murder. We need to learn more about happened to make a clear determination. However, at the very least she has admitted to leaving the baby in the toilet where it was later found dead.

Monkeyz-

Yes, you might get a refund from the government for the birth, but you still need to cough up about 300-500,000 yen or more at the time of delivery

With some simple paperwork, you can actually get the refund money in advance, that way you don't have to pay the delivery fee at the hospital. Your local government office can send the money directly to the hospital/clinic.

Then getting rid of that stupid rule that she has to have the guy come with her to the clinic to give permission.

You do not need to have the guy come with the girl to the clinic for permission. You just need someone (a guy) to sign a paper and then the girl can just bring it to the hospital/clinic. They do not check to see whether the person who signed the paper is the actual father of the baby.

Support for women who have very little income

There are options for those who make little money.. The problem is that those people who say there's no other way than throwing away their baby -- they do not do research. Each ward/city/town has their website on the internet and they can get much information from there.. or they can quick visit their local government office so that they can get info about how to get help.

Like some posters said, adoptions are not popular/common in Japan, it is a fact, HOWEVER, there are places that accept children who don't have parents. If only those mothers/fathers who decide to throw their babies think about leaving their babies somewhere safe... If they go to the government office to let them know that they are financially unable to raise their babies, they can be guided to better ways.

SIMPLE FACT -- NOT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY CANNOT BE A REASON TO THROW AWAY OR KILL YOUR BABIES.. There are always other ways... Mistakes are made when they get pregnant without wanting to... Now what they can and should do is NOT to make the second mistake... Admit your mistake and take responsibility --- They should go seek help if they cant handle the situation.

Why would a 35 year old woman have a fear of being found out? perhaps she has little or no money or abortion would be the obvious choice! The baby may have been still born, we don't know. It's very easy to sit in judgment from our armchairs but what do we know of the circumstances that lead to this tragic event.

Problem with abortion is that it gets registered with the ward.

Pregnancies in Japan need to be registered with the ward which than hands out a lot of stuff, courses, etc for the Mother/Child & the Father.

Very likely none of those "killed/abandoned" pregnancies were registered ones as the ward would be on them about care, etc.

Zenny11, that brings us back to my point. Why would a 35 year old woman be afraid of an abortion being registered? Money and the lack of a known father spring to mind.

If it was unplanned/unwanted, why could she not abort it earlier? I think there is no restriction for unwanted abortion in Japan.

Stupid, stupid woman!!!

I love to adopt the baby...

I didn’t want the baby and didn’t know what to do with it, so I left it in the toilet

"It"???! THIS WOMAN IS TALKING ABOUT HER SON!!! What the hell kind of mentality is that? Dumping him in a toilet? And I agree he almost certainly didn't die "naturally".

How cold and devoid of any emotion can a human being get?

This woman need to be punished the same way she killed her son, PERIOD!!!

Ifeellmust-

Why would a 35 year old woman be afraid of an abortion being registered?

when women get pregnant, they go to their local government office to get a mother's handbook and some coupons for discount check-ups.. if a woman to get an abortion, there is no need for her to get her pregnancy registered. people go to government offices only when they are to keep their babies so that they can get support and information.

and if you don't have enough money/income, you are also encouraged to go to your local government office because then they can give you a support.

"This woman need to be punished the same way she killed her son, PERIOD!!!"

Yeah, because that'll bring him back to life!

Based on her statement to the Police,its clear she murdered her infant son. It doesnt take a genius to figure that one out. Even the simplest, uneducated, destitute individual would have considered leaving the baby at a Shrine, Temple, or even on the door-step of a nice looking home. 46 weeks to find a solution, and her solution was murder, hoping she wouldnt get caught. Shes a sociopath so no amount of reasoning with her, ranting & raving,"What were you THINKING?" regrettably would avail NOTHING! I agree that the penalty for this crime should be frightening, enforced and ALL OVER THE MEDIA. The Public needs to be educated that this crime is SHAMEFUL AND SERIOUS.

The Public needs to be educated that this crime is SHAMEFUL AND SERIOUS.

Not sure which is sadder - that this happened or that people think the public needs to be education that it's a serious matter.

Utterly revolting.

If this had been the act of a 17 or 18 year-old I would have some sympathy but a woman of 35 has to be held accountable for her actions. As fishy pointed out, there are sources of support and she had tons of better options than this one. There will always be unwanted pregnancies unfortunately...

This woman deserves nothing. Take everything away from her. What an evil self-centered bi*ch.

@fishy. How should Japan go about stopping these senseless deaths. I feel these young girls in need (in this cases she is older) are not aware of their options. You mentioned the government offices will help. Where did you learn about this? Do they teach it in school? If so when do teachers tell students about options such as adoption, foster care, counseling, abortion, government support, etc. When do they teach moral and ethics? right and wrong? From my understanding this type of education is not in the curriculum but I think it should be. The government of Japan needs to do a better job helping children in need whether it is through education or some other means!!

I feel these young girls in need (in this cases she is older) are not aware of their options.

I agree with you that the kind of moral education you suggest needs to be in the curriculum. Butby7 putting it in, the government will have to admit there is a problem - and that's never going to happen.

As for not being aware of their options - that is riduculous. Even someone not aware that they can get an abortion/put the child up for adoption etc would know (unless they are mentally ill) that leaving a newborn on the steps of a hospital=good chance of survival. Leaving a newborn in a shared toilet in November=little chance.

There was NOTHING to stop this woman from leaving the baby in a warm safe place where hecould be easily found. Except her own total lack of humanity. I cannot begin to understand how someone could carry their child inside them for 9 months, feel that baby growing and kicking, give birth to him - and feel absolutely nothing, not even that the baby should have a chance at life.

And what makes me most mad is I guarantee she will get off with a suspended sentence and go back to her life as if nothing happened. I hope the thought of the little mite haunts her till the day she dies - but it probably won't.

Options can be taught in school but morals should be taught at home. I agree with kwbrow2 that schools should include some practical classes in preparation for the real world: unplanned pregnancies, relationships, marriage, parenting, budgeting, etc. But even having the knowledge may not necessarily be enough to help someone make good choices. It's up to parents to teach their kids about right and wrong and to think through to the consequences of their actions. This woman appeared to have neither the knowledge nor morals.

kyushujoe at 10:19 PM JST - 24th November

"This woman need to be punished the same way she killed her son, PERIOD!!!" Yeah, because that'll bring him back to life!

No, but it WILL end a worthless one. I'm for that.

Teaching morality effectively would require first that students were taught how to think critically about anything. Schools in Japan, for the most part, discourage critical thinking skills, and moral reasoning is not about memorizing facts at a cram school. Until Japan's schools get on par with the rest of the civilized world, the Japanese public will continue to live their lives with little ability to think logically about their actions and choices.