Prosecutors find woman accused of strangling son insane, drop charges

The Mainichi Shimbun
June 7, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080607p2a00m0na009000c.html

HACHINOHE, Aomori -- Public prosecutors have decided not to charge a 30-year-old woman over the strangling of her 9-year-old son at their home here in April, deeming her to be insane at the time of the crime.

The mother, whose name is being withheld, was arrested by officers at Hachinohe Police Station for strangling her son with an electrical cable at about 9 a.m. on April 1.

The Hachinohe branch of the Aomori District Public Prosecutors Office held the woman in custody for about two months. Based on a psychiatric evaluation, they concluded that the woman had a history of schizophrenia, and was under the influence of the disorder at the time of the killing. Accordingly, they judged that they could not hold her criminally responsible.

Under the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act governing people who are insane, the woman was put into hospital for further evaluation.

(Mainichi Japan) June 7, 2008

Mom strangles 9-year-old son with electrical cord

The Mainichi Shimbun
April 2, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080402p2a00m0na009000c.html

HACHINOHE, Aomori -- A mother who strangled her 9-year-old son as he was about to start his new school year has been arrested on suspicion of murder, police said.

Arrested was 30-year-old Miki Nishiyama, a resident of Hachinohe. She has admitted to the allegations against her, and police are trying to determine her motives for the crime.

Investigators accuse Nishiyama of strangling her 9-year-old son Takumi with an electrical cord in his room on the second floor of their home at about 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Police said a futon had been placed over the boy's body, and the electrical cord was found in the home.

Nishiyama had lived with Takumi and her parents, who are in their 50s. Police arrived at the home after receiving an emergency call from the child's grandmother, and found Nishiyama in the home.

The principal and other officials at the elementary school Takumi had attended said the area around the school was being industrialized and limits had been placed on people moving into the area, resulting in low student numbers. In the 2007 school year, there were only four students between their third and fifth years, of whom Takumi was the youngest. On April 7, four new first year students were due to enter the school, and Takumi had reportedly been looking forward to being a "big brother" to them. Officials said he had a cheerful personality, serving as a school library worker. He had said his dream was to become an electronics dealer.

As a safety measure, the elementary school has parents come and pick up their children, and Nishiyama often came to pick up her son. She had appeared at a school year-end ceremony on March 26, officials said, adding that they had not noticed anything unusual.

A man who knew Takumi well said that the 9-year-old had received an honorable mention for a poem in the 48th Bansui children's award, held in memory of the Sendai poet Bansui Doi. The title of his poem was "Mother."

"He had big round eyes and he was a friendly and lively boy," the man said, expressing his shock at the boy's death.

(Mainichi Japan) April 2, 2008

Mother arrested for strangling 9-year-old son in Aomori

Japan Today
Wednesday 02nd April, 09:54 AM JST
Source: http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/mother-arrested-for-strangling-9-year-old-son-in-aomori

AOMORI — Police on Tuesday arrested a woman for strangling her 9-year-old son at their house in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture. Miki Nishiyama, 30, was arrested for allegedly strangling her son Takumi, 9, with an electric cord in his room on the second floor of their house around 9 a.m. Her mother found Takumi dead and called police.

According to police investigations, Nishiyama strangled Takumi while he was sleeping. She has admitted to the charge, police said.

The head of a local school said Takumi was about to start school on April 7. He was awarded a prize for his poem titled “Mother” in 2007, a neighbor said. Nishiyama has so far given no motive, police said.