The Gifu District Court on Wednesday acquitted a nurse of manslaughter in connection with the death of a diabetic girl at an organic food facility in Ena, Gifu Prefecture, in July 2005 but found her guilty of pharmaceutical law violations.
Although the 12-year-old girl eventually died, Judge Mihoko Tanabe ruled that Masako Amaha, 49, does not bear criminal responsibility.
"It remains unknown whether the girl would have survived even if the defendant had provided proper medical care," Tanabe said.
The girl fell into a coma on July 18, 2005, while being treated for diabetes at the research facility.
Amaha was indicted without arrest in June 2007 for manslaughter. Prosecutors argued that she failed to take appropriate measures, such as injecting the girl with insulin and taking her to a doctor.
She also was indicted for selling natural foods in 2005 without a license and claiming they were as effective as drugs, a claim that violates the pharmaceutical law.
On this charge, the court found her guilty as such sales "directly affect human health." The court sentenced her to a year in prison, suspended for three years, and fined her ¥500,000.
Prosecutors had demanded an 18-month term and ¥1 million in penalties.