The Osaka child abandonment case was a case of child abandonment involving two abandoned children in Osaka, Japan. It occurred on June 9, 2010 when Sanae Shimomura, a 23-year-old Japanese single mother in Osaka, sealed the door of her apartment shut, abandoning 3-year-old daughter Sakurako Hagi and 1-year-old son Kaede Hagi inside. Neighbors heard the children crying over many weeks until it suddenly subsided, but did not think anything more of this than simply children in a bad childhood phase. Since Shimomura did not come to work for several days, a colleague went to her place and noticed a strange smell beyond the door. When the police entered the apartment, they found the two children dead.[1] Social workers had attempted to stop by the apartment several times over the course of the children's confinement, but never found anyone home. The apartment was in a lively, populated area, but nobody knew that the children were confined.
| Osaka child abandonment case | |
|---|---|
| Location | Nishi, Osaka Prefecture, Japan |
| Date | June 9, 2010 to July 31, 2010 |
Attack type | Child abandonment, Murder, Starvation |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Victim | Sakurako Hagi, 3, Kaede Hagi, 1 |
| Perpetrator | Sanae Shimomura |
| Motive | To stop taking care of the children |
Shimomura was arrested on 30 July 2010.[1] She was reported to have wanted free time for herself and was quoted as saying that she had grown "tired of feeding and bathing" her two children.[1] She was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murders. As of 2024, Shimamura remains imprisoned.
See also edit
- Rie Fujii, concerning a very similar incident involving two children abandoned in an apartment in Calgary, Canada.
- Sugamo child abandonment case, a similar incident that took place in a neighborhood near Tokyo, Japan.
- Coin-operated-locker babies
- Baby hatches
- Child abandonment
References edit
- "Mom: no remorse for kids' deaths". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 1 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- "Mother of 2 kids who were found decomposed called friend for advice". The Mainichi Daily News. Japan: The Mainichi Daily Newspapers. 1 August 2010. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- "Neighbor reported children's cries". Asahi Shimbun. Japan. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Mom held after children found 'starved to deaths' in Osaka flat". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 31 July 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
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