The case of a Chiba Prefecture man convicted of murdering his grievously sick wife has again shed light on the dilemma families face when one member's suffering convinces them that death is the best option.
The Chiba District Court handed down a three-year prison term suspended for five years to a 93-year-old man who strangled his 83-year-old wife after she asked him to do so to end her chronic pain and growing immobility.
"It wasn't a selfish act," the presiding judge said, expressing sympathy for the victim's husband as the trial wound up on Wednesday.