A 31-year-old man in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture was arrested on 14 Jan after his two-year-old son died from suffocation after falling into a washing machine at their home last April.
Source: Japan News Network (JNN)
According to Japanese media reports, the suspect, Yuki Yamaguchi, a temporary worker from Tsuchiura, was arrested on suspicion of abandonment by a person responsible for protection resulting in death.
Police said the incident occurred at around 10am on 27 April 2025 at an apartment in Kasumigaura, where Yamaguchi was living at the time.
His son, Aoi, allegedly fell headfirst into a top-loading washing machine located in the child’s bedroom.
The appliance, which was scheduled for disposal, was not in use at the time.
Source: Japan News Network (JNN)
Despite witnessing the fall, Yamaguchi is accused of leaving the toddler inside the machine for about 20 minutes without providing assistance.
“I left him there without helping him,” he reportedly told Ibaraki Prefectural Police.
At around 10.29am, Yamaguchi called emergency services to report that his son was not breathing.
Source: Fuji News Network (FNN)
Aoi was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said there were no visible external injuries, and the cause of death was determined to be suffocation.
Authorities noted that the washing machine was about 90cm tall, and that footholds were present in the room, leading investigators to believe the child may have climbed up on his own before accidentally falling inside.
At the time of the incident, Yamaguchi was at home with his son, while his wife was out at work.
Police are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the case.
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Featured image adapted from Japan News Network (JNN) and Fuji News Network (FNN).