I was so shocked to read about the death of 5-year-old Yua Funato and the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of her stepfather and mother.
Her plea for forgiveness from her parents is so touching and invites tears. She wrote: "Please forgive me, forgive me. Please. I really won't do the same things again. Forgive me."
It is clear that not only did she seek "forgiveness" from her parents, she desperately wanted to be loved by her parents, to be hugged from her parents!
Human beings learn to love people first through their parents' love. Parents are expected to be aware of this truth and to meet their responsibility in bringing up their children.
Nobody can deny that sometimes serpentine thoughts creep into our hearts. We must be strong enough to control these impulses under any circumstance.
We may not have been Yua's parents, yet we feel we have to apologize to her: "Forgive us please, Yua. We could not save your precious life."
The literal translation of the name Yua would be "love of connecting." All of us are now connected with Yua in heaven, praying for her repose.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.