Japan Today Get your ticket to GaijinPot Expo 2024
Image: iStock/Ronstik/ronstik
crime

24-year-old man arrested for fatally abusing one-month-old son

19 Comments

Police in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, have arrested a 24-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of fatally abusing his one-month-old son at their home last year.  

Police said Yudai Kono is accused of abusing his son, Soa, on Sept 9, 2023, in their apartment in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, where the family was living at the time, Kyodo News reported.  

According to police, at around 7:15 p.m. on Sept 9, Kono’s wife called 119 after returning home from work, and said that Soa's breathing was abnormal and his face had turned purple.

Soa was taken to hospital where doctors said he had brain damage. He died 10 days later. An autopsy showed death was due to post-cardiac arrest brain injury. Police were notified about a case of possible child abuse.

Police said Kono has denied abusing his son.

According to the Kawaguchi City child welfare center, Kono's household was registered as one requiring monitoring, as there had been reported fighting between Kono and his wife.  

Kono and his wife also have a daughter who is older than Soa. However, the child consultation center had been notified that she was suspected of being psychologically abused at home, and at the time of the incident she was living separately from the three.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

19 Comments
Login to comment

Give him his day in court, and if he is found guilty, the punishment SHOULD fit the crime. Meaning he should be subject to the same abuse he did to his son, repeatedly, for the rest of his life!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Death penalty!!!

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

In Texas child protection services would of removed all children,I knew a White woman who child died,they took her children and she regained custody,the child died from malpractice by not getting the right treatment

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Her choice of partner... and the consequence...

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Another sad story of a death of a child in a Nation which needs more kids not less.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

kono and his wife also have an older daughter who is living separately from the other three...

and won't ever be going back!!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Gallows deserved..

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

There should be nothing but death penalty for such garbage. They don't deserve to breathe another day.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This happened almost one year ago, on Sept 9, 2023 and now he is arrested?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

This is quite sad news. Let’s hope the events play out properly in court and not just a beat a confession out of him. Tragic story for a Friday. Prayers to the child and family.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Monster.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If convicted, this animal needs to be hung. There is no more heinous crime than killing an innocent child. Period. He has no right to be fed and sheltered at the taxpayer expense.

Rest in Peace to poor little Soa-chan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"If convicted, this animal needs to be hung. There is no more heinous crime than killing an innocent child. Period. He has no right to be fed and sheltered at the taxpayer expense.

Rest in Peace to poor little Soa-chan."

Two wrongs don't make it right. The guy might need help in mental care. It's not easy for a parent killing his child let alone a helpless infant. Though I do agree with you this behavior can't be cordoned.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

According to the Kawaguchi City child welfare center, Kono's household was registered as one requiring monitoring, as there had been reported fighting between Kono and his wife.  

Another case where the system failed a child. Instead of proactively removing the child from a harmful environment, they chose to wait until it was too late. Now a child is dead while scum like this man still pull air into his lungs. At the very least, lock him up and throw away the key.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In the interests of professional journalism, it would be good to learn of the exact reason why the perpetrator has only just been arrested nearly one year since the one-month old baby was killed - what has been happening during this time ?? Have the police just been mulling this over, or has there been interventions of which we are not being told......

Horrendous as this tragic case is, fullness of reporting is the least that can be presented to inform the public.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Is unemployed a euphemism for something else?

I often read it in similar cases

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

1 month old baby at home,

while the mother works, and the father is home?

Babies need their mothers at that age, for feeding, bonding,

and to establish a schedule.

I’m thinking this guy knew nothing about caring for a baby, and when it cried, as babies do, he had nothing to give it but anger and abuse.

A sad day when a mother must work outside rather than care for her newborn.

Not even 3 months old, the baby can’t yet even pick up its head. Ugh.

Despicable, this is no system for raising children.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

There's a saying, " what goes around.... comes around " and something tells me much more so once this 24 year old is thrown in prison!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

1 month old baby at home,

while the mother works, and the father is home?

Babies need their mothers at that age, for feeding, bonding,

and to establish a schedule.

I’m thinking this guy knew nothing about caring for a baby, and when it cried, as babies do, he had nothing to give it but anger and abuse.

I suppose the idea of a stay-at-home dad is a foreign concept for you. Fathers also need to bond with their babies and should be perfectly capable of doing all the things you mentioned for a newborn if the mother decides to head back to work - feeding, bonding, establishing a schedule, along with changing, bathing, and soothing them. Until we as a society stop perpetuating the notion that women are and should be the sole caregivers for children, incidents like this will continue to occur.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites