Woman arrested for abusing stepson

The Mainichi Shimbun
April 17, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080417p2a00m0na023000c.html

SAPPORO -- An assistant nurse was arrested Thursday for abusing her stepson, slightly injuring him, police said.

Rika Okada, 31, a resident of Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, stands accused of inflicting bodily injury. She admitted to the allegations during questioning.

"He failed to clear away plates after eating or clean up his room. So I hit him as discipline," she was quoted as telling investigators.

Investigators suspect that Okada had abused her 14-year-old stepson for about four years because he would not take to her.

In the specific case for which she was arrested, Okada hit the victim in the head and back with a screwdriver and a spray can dozens of times on Thursday and Friday last week, local police said. The victim, a third-year junior high school student, suffered slight wounds that are expected to take a week to heal.

The incident came to light after the boy's homeroom teacher noticed bruises on his face on Friday alerted a local child consultation center.

Okada married the 36-year-old father of the boy eight years ago, according to investigators.

(Mainichi Japan) April 17, 2008