The mother of a 12-year-old boy, along with a woman who was tasked with looking after him, have been arrested and indicted on charges of starving him to death, police said Friday.
The suspects were identified as nursing-caregiver Tomoe Osako, 36, and Michiko Kawaguchi, 38, both residents of Osaka.
They allegedly caused the 2002 death of Osako's son, Yuki, an elementary school sixth-grader, by confining him and not giving him enough food.
Yuki was confined in his home for about a year and seven months. He weighed just 19 kg at the time of his death, police said, adding that this is about the weight of an average 5-year-old.