National / Crime & Legal Sep 8, 2020
Prison term upheld for Tokyo mother over fatal abuse of 5-year-old Yua Funato
The high-profile case drew nationwide attention for the girl's desperate pleas for her parents to stop mistreating her.
National / Crime & Legal Oct 30, 2019
Stepfather's 13-year term finalized after fatal abuse of 5-year-old Yua Funato
A 13-year prison sentence was finalized Wednesday for a man convicted of physical abuse and neglect that led to the death of his 5-year-old stepdaughter, after neither the defense nor prosecutors appealed the ruling. The Tokyo District Court ruled on Oct. 15 that Yudai Funato, ...
Editorials Oct 19, 2019
The government's efforts to combat child abuse is showing mixed results at best despite the policy response to recent high-profile fatalities of young victims.
National / Crime & Legal Oct 15, 2019
Yua Funato's stepfather sentenced to 13-year term in fatal Meguro Ward child abuse case
Yudai Funato was accused of causing Yua’s death from sepsis in March of last year.
National / Crime & Legal Oct 7, 2019
18-year sentence sought for stepfather over fatal abuse of Yua Funato
The defendant looked nervous, clenching his fists in his lap as prosecutors made their argument. “I’m really sorry,” a crying Yudai Funato said in his final statement.
National / Crime & Legal Oct 4, 2019
Failed disciplining turned to abuse, Yua Funato's accused stepfather tells Tokyo court
A man charged with abuse that led to the 2018 death of his 5-year-old stepdaughter Yua Funato told the Tokyo District Court Friday that he started assaulting her after his efforts at disciplining her did not work. "My disciplining was unsuccessful, and I started assaulting ...
National / Crime & Legal Oct 1, 2019
Stepfather admits to fatal abuse of 5-year-old Yua Funato in high-profile Tokyo case
At a hearing, prosecutors said that the stepfather ordered Yua to perform difficult tasks and that the girl had 170 wounds on her body when she died.
National / Crime & Legal Sep 17, 2019
Tokyo woman sentenced to eight years in prison over fatal abuse of 5-year-old daughter
In the trial, prosecutors said Yuri Funato prioritized her relationship with her then-husband, Yudai Funato, over her daughter’s life.
National / Crime & Legal Sep 10, 2019
11-year sentence sought for mother in Yua Funato child abuse case
Prosecutors sought an 11-year prison term for the mother of a 5-year-old girl who died last year after allegedly being mistreated at home, the latest development in a case that caused a public outcry and changes to child protection laws. The prosecutors lodged the request ...
National / Crime & Legal Sep 3, 2019
In high-profile Tokyo abuse case, mother admits her neglect led to death of 5-year-old daughter
It is suspected that the neglect by Yuri Funato, 27, caused her daughter Yua to die of sepsis after developing pneumonia in March last year in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward.
Reference | EXPLAINER Mar 25, 2019
Two girls' deaths after alleged abuse expose shortcomings in Japan's child-protection services
by Chisato Tanaka
The January death of 10-year-old Mia Kurihara in Chiba Prefecture, allegedly at the hands of her abusive father, shocked Japan after coming on the heels of a similar case involving a 5-year-old girl in Tokyo's Meguro Ward last year. In both cases, the children sought ...
National / Crime & Legal Feb 7, 2019
Police reported record-high 80,104 cases of suspected child abuse across Japan in 2018
An investigative source said the rise in the figures can be partly attributed to heightened awareness among citizens leading to an increase in people reporting.