TOKYO (TR) – A former social media influencer who gained a following while living with a physical disability has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the brutal murder of her three-month-old daughter, reports Fuji News Network (Nov. 14).
Satsuki Naito, 29, was convicted at the Tokyo District Court on Friday for stabbing her infant daughter, Yua, dozens of times with a kitchen knife. The court heard that the child sustained a total of 67 wounds during the frenzied attack.
Naito, who previously worked as a “wheelchair influencer” while suffering from congenital osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), pleaded guilty to the charges during her first trial session on October 21.
During questioning, Naito told the court she killed the child because she feared losing custody of her daughter due to her disability amid a deteriorating relationship with her then-husband.
“I thought the only way was to die with my daughter,” Naito said, attempting to justify the killing. “I thought if I killed her, we could be together forever. I think I loved her too much.”
Prosecutors slammed the motive as “incredibly selfish” and argued that the crime could not be justified under any circumstances. They requested a 10-year prison sentence.
The defense had argued for a suspended sentence, claiming that Naito was suffering from the effects of physical abuse from her former husband and was in a state where she could not make “normal judgments” due to an overdose of medication.
The presiding judge at the Tokyo District Court acknowledged that Naito faced significant pressure regarding potential loss of custody, but ultimately rejected the defense’s plea for leniency.
“There are no words for the pain and suffering felt by Yua, who was too young to even speak,” the judge stated. “The motive of thinking there was no choice but to die together was a selfish and short-sighted act that prioritized her own emotions above all else.”
Immediately after the eight-year sentence was handed down, the courtroom erupted in chaos. Naito grabbed the microphone at the witness stand, sobbing and shouting at the judge.
“Why won’t you give me the death penalty? The death penalty would be better!” Naito cried.
Despite being urged to calm down by the judge, Naito continued to lash out, screaming, “You should have given me the death penalty! This is too lenient!”
During the trial, Naito had apologized for the murder, claiming to have spent the last year in regret. She also bowed deeply toward her former husband, who attended the trial, asking him to reveal the location of their daughter’s grave.
