A couple in the village of Izumizaki, Fukushima Prefecture, have been arrested on suspicion of abusing their 3-year-old son to the point of death, police said Saturday.

The father, Isao Shirahige, 40, has a history of child abuse.

The police alleged he and his wife, Wakako, 33, neglected to provide sufficient food to their son, Hiromu, leaving him malnourished.

The boy died around May 28 before they brought him to a hospital, the police said. At the time of his death he weighed 7.9 kg, normal for a 6-month-old.