The Kyoto District Court on Wednesday sentenced a 38-year-old assistant nurse to three years in prison for tearing off the big toenails of four patients at a hospital in Kyoto in August.
Akemi Sato "repeated the vicious, relentless act for the selfish purpose of relieving work stress while she was in a position of taking care of patients," presiding Judge Akiyoshi Sasano said.
The prosecution had sought a six-year prison term for Sato, noting she could repeat the offense. The same court gave her a 44-month prison term in 2006 for removing the nails of six patients at another Kyoto hospital in 2004.