A university hospital doctor was indicted but not detained Friday by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office on a charge of professional negligence resulting in the death of a 4-year-old boy in 1999.
Hideki Nemoto, 34, a doctor at Kyorin University Hospital in Tokyo, is suspected of misdiagnosing the boy's condition, thereby resulting in the child's death, the prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, Shunzo Sugino fell down while eating cotton candy on a stick at a summer festival in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, on July 10, 1999. The stick from the candy was pushed through his throat, piercing his brain and fracturing his skull.
The boy was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and even though he repeatedly vomited and lost consciousness, Nemoto discharged him after giving only limited treatment, including applying disinfectant to the throat, prosecutors said.
The boy's condition suddenly worsened the following morning, and he soon died, they said.
The prosecutors said Nemoto, the doctor on duty that evening, should have examined the boy more carefully, including conducting a computerized tomography scan.
The case was sent to prosecutors in July 2000. Subsequent investigations led prosecutors to determine that although Nemoto was a doctor of otolaryngology, he could still have prevented the boy's death by conducting a CT scan and bringing the case to the attention of a better qualified doctor.
Nemoto has told investigators that he regrets what happened but is expected to deny part of the charges, sources close to the case said.
In October 2000, the boy's parents filed a damages suit with the Tokyo District Court for 89.6 million yen against Kyorin University and Nemoto.