A foul smell emanating from inside a locker in Tokyo last Tuesday, 29 May, was found to have been caused by an abandoned, dead, newborn baby girl.
Police who were investigating complaints of the smell made the gruesome discovery. But even more disturbing details have emerged.
The Abandoned Newborn Was Killed by Her Own Mother
The suspect reportedly gave birth to the newborn and then abandoned the baby inside a locker.
Tokyo Police arrested 25-year-old Mao Togawa for abandoning her baby’s body inside a locker. They carefully analysed CCTV footage and other clues before pinpointing her as the potential suspect.
The 25-year-old admitted that she also killed her newborn.
She said that she gave birth to the child inside a cafe in Tokyo. She added that she killed her baby after she started crying, by strangling her to death. The woman claims she was worried that after hearing the little one’s cries, someone would notice that she had a baby.
A few days later, the suspect left the newborn’s body, stuffed in a suitcase, inside a coin-operated locker near the roadside.
The baby’s neck was found to have strangulation marks on it.
She Claimed to Be Unemployed and Was Staying at a Cafe
When questioned, the suspect said that she was unemployed and staying at a nearby manga cafe.
In Japan, manga cafes are places where patrons can drink and read comic books.
A murder charge will most likely be filed against the suspect after she admitted to the crime.
Where Can Mums Find Help?
These days, you hear a lot of stories on the news and on social media about mothers abandoning their children.
Rather than judge a mum for her actions, the best thing to do would be to provide support for any mother facing a pregnancy crisis.
In light of the rising incidence of cases like this, here are some important numbers that you can call:
Expectant mothers who are in distress can call the 24-hour toll-free MUM-TO-BE Helpline at 1800-686-86-23.
Similarly, pregnant teens can seek help from BABES via SMS at 8111 3535 or call toll-free at 1800-TEENMOM.
Additionally, here’s a list of several voluntary welfare organisations (VWO’s) who run shelters.
Hopefully, we will see less of these incidents in the future.
Source: Japan Times
Photos from: pxhere, Pixabay
READ: Chinese parents abandon six-month-old baby girl
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