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, ...
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
Two girls' deaths after alleged abuse expose shortcomings in Japan's child-protection services
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 ...
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.
Japanese volunteers spring to action after fatal child abuse case
Five-year old Yua Funato was found unconscious at a Tokyo apartment in March, her feet severely frostbitten and her face and body covered with bruises that were inflicted by her 33-year-old stepfather. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital from pneumonia-induced sepsis caused ...
