Woman Wrongly Arrested for Biting Child Following Dental Mixup

Apr 05, 2024 | News On Japan

Shiga, Apr 05, 2024 (News On Japan) - A woman in her 20s who was wrongfully arrested for biting her one-month-old baby after police mistakenly identified a piece of dental evidence as hers, has won damages against the state.

A court settlement was reached on April 5 between the woman and both the national and prefectural governments.

The woman was charged by Shiga Prefectural Police five years prior for biting and injuring the arm of her one-month-old child. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the dental print used as evidence by the Shiga Prefectural Police belonged to someone else, leading to the withdrawal of the charges. Claiming to have been coerced into a false confession and suffering mental distress, the woman sued the national and Shiga Prefectural governments for approximately 3 million yen in compensation.

Following a court recommendation for settlement, an agreement was reached for the national and prefectural governments to pay a combined total of 1 million yen. While the settlement was concluded, the woman stated, "I do not intend to forgive, as there has been no apology from the interrogating officers." Meanwhile, the Shiga Prefectural Police expressed their deep apologies to the plaintiff.

Source: YOMIURI

Newly Formed Typhoon No. 17 Could Near Kanto by Weekend

A large new typhoon formed near the Ogasawara Islands on August 12 and could approach Honshu around the end of the Obon holiday period, while the remnants of Typhoon No. 15 continue to bring unstable weather and a risk of heavy rain across a wide area of Japan.

Japanese Woman Trapped in North Korea for 40 Years

Hiroko Saito was 19 years old when she left Japan for North Korea in June 1961 with her Korean husband and their one-year-old daughter, persuaded by assurances that they were heading to a "paradise on earth" and that she could return to Japan after three years. Instead, she would spend four decades in North Korea, enduring chronic hunger, the deaths of her husband and children and a desperate struggle to survive before finally escaping and returning home in 2001.

Typhoon No. 15 Travel Disruption Eases as Most Major Services Resume

Transport disruption caused by Typhoon No. 15 was easing across eastern Japan on the morning of August 12, with most major railway and airline services returning to normal after dozens of flight cancellations and widespread rail disruption during the storm's landfall in Ibaraki Prefecture the previous evening.

H3 Rocket No. 9 Successfully Launches Japan GPS Satellite

Japan's H3 Rocket No. 9 successfully placed the Michibiki No. 7 navigation satellite into its planned orbit after lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:23 a.m. on August 11, marking the country's second consecutive successful H3 launch.

Tokaido Shinkansen Runs First Overnight Service

The Tokaido Shinkansen operated its first overnight service ahead of the Obon holiday period, offering travelers a 15,000 yen trip from the Tokyo area to Kyoto and Shin-Osaka while allowing them to save on hotel costs and arrive earlier than the first regular morning trains.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Fire Breaks Out at Daido Steel Chita Plant in Aichi

A fire broke out late on August 11 at Daido Steel's Chita Plant in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, burning through an outdoor area containing scrap metal and other materials, with no injuries reported and no flames spreading to nearby buildings.

Fake Images of Kumamoto Earthquake Spread Online

Two weeks after the Kumamoto earthquake, the spread of malicious fake images has emerged as a problem in disaster-hit communities, with one resident saying the manipulation feels like an insult to everyone in his area.

Osaka Police Pound on Door Before Raiding Yakuza Office

Osaka Prefectural Police searched an office linked to the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, on July 29 as part of an investigation into suspected receipt of money obtained through special fraud.

Zombie Cigarette Drug Busts Rise Across Kansai

Authorities in Kyoto and Osaka have arrested three men in separate drug cases involving so-called zombie cigarettes containing the designated drug etomidate, as investigators step up efforts against the illegal trade in the Kansai region.

Raccoon Damage Surges Across Japan

Raccoons are increasingly invading homes across Japan, damaging roofs and wiring, contaminating buildings with large amounts of urine and feces, and raising concerns over agriculture, native wildlife and the spread of disease as their population continues to expand.

令和8年8月8日 Sparks Wedding Events Across Japan

Japan marked August 8, 2026, with a wave of weddings, special discounts and commemorative events as the date produced a rare alignment of three eights - the eighth day of the eighth month in Reiwa 8 - a combination regarded as especially auspicious because the character for eight is traditionally associated with expanding prosperity.

Woman Arrested Over Fatal Assault on Brother-in-Law

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of fatally assaulting her brother-in-law at her home in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, after allegedly telling emergency services that he had fallen from a roof.

Imperial Family Enjoys Nasu Retreat

The Emperor and his family are spending time at the Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture as the retreat marks 100 years since its establishment, with the visit coming as debate in the Diet over revisions related to the Imperial House Law enters a critical stage.

< 2 3 4 5 >