4-year-old boy dies after being locked inside TV stand cabinet by father

Japan Today -- Jun 19

Police in Kitakyushu said Monday they have arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of fatally abusing his 4-year-son after he locked the boy inside a storage cabinet beneath a TV stand at their house.

According to police, the incident occurred on May 11 at the house in Kokura Ward. Police said Shunta Notomi forcibly placed his son Yuto into the drawer beneath the TV in their second-floor bedroom, Sankei Shimbun reported. When Notomi checked on the boy several hours later, he wasn’t breathing an the called 119 at around 6:20 a.m. the next day.

Yuto was taken to hospital where he died due to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (lack of oxygen to the brain) about one hour later, according to doctors. The hospital notified police about a case of possible child abuse.

Meanwhile, local media reported Monday that Notomi’s wife Maiko, 24, in February had abused their then 2-year-old daughter by scalding her with a boiling liquid. Two days later, she took her daughter to a hospital and said she had been careless with boiling water and scalded herself.

Jun 19 (ANNnewsCH) - 父親は当時4歳の息子をテレビ台の引き出しに数時間、押し込んだということです。 警察によりますと、北九州市の会社員・納富駿太容疑者(27)は先月11日未明、自宅2階の寝室で息子の優斗ちゃんをテレビ台の引き出しに数時間にわたって押し込み、殺害した疑いが持たれています。