Suspected In Connection With The Deaths Of Her Four Children, A Nursing Assistant Is Detained By Prosecutors

JAKARTA - A 42-year-old woman was detained by prosecutors last Monday on suspicion of killing her 7-year-old son in 2019 by strangling him.

Not only that, the move was made when the Japanese Police also investigated the deaths of his three other children several years ago, all of whom also died at a young age.

Ayano Ueda, who describes herself as a nursing assistant, was arrested by police on Sunday, for allegedly strangling her son Yudai by covering his nose and mouth between 8:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. at their home in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan on 6 August 2019.

An investigative source quoted him as saying Yudai's son had chronic asthma when he was rushed to the hospital, Kyodo News reported February 21.

Not only Yudai, the investigation also found that his eldest son and daughter died about 20 years ago, while another son died in 2017.

The police eventually suspected homicide in Yudai's death, considering his body had traces that indicated external force had been applied, and based on consultation with several doctors.

Yudai, a first grader in elementary school, is believed to have died from hypoxic encephalopathy, or brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen, according to the source.

So far, Ueda has denied committing murder as suspected, and no reports of him abusing his children have been received by the prefectural police.

It is known that Yudai was placed in a child consultation center twice. The first was before his brother's death in 2017. The second was after his death.

On the second occasion, Yudai was eventually returned to Ueda's care as a result of a family court decision.

Ueda, whose mental state at the time of his children's deaths is also being investigated, told neighbors after Yudai died that his son was not breathing when he woke up in the morning.

In addition, he also said that the hospital had informed him that the cause of the princess's death was unknown.

To note, Ueda himself made 119 emergency calls for ambulance transportation. Yudai's death was confirmed at the hospital, which later reported the case to the police.