IBARAKI (TR) – Multiple reports of possible abuse were lodged with a child consultation center after an incident whereby a woman and her former husband allegedly poured hot water on the face of her child two years ago, reports TBS News (Sep. 10).
On September 3, 2022, Yuka Shinseki, 26, and Ken Fukumoto, 25, allegedly submerged the face of Shinseki’s then 5-year-old daughter’s face in the bathtub at their residence in Tsukuba City and poured hot water from the shower on her face, causing burns.
The child suffered injuries that required three weeks to heal, police said.
Fukumoto and the girl are not blood relatives, but the three were living together at the time.
Police have not revealed whether the suspects have admitted to allegations of inflicting injury.
“Abuse suspected”
About 10 days after the incident, police received a report from a child consultation center in the prefecture that “a girl with burns to her face had been taken to the hospital and abuse was suspected.”
In a subsequent interview with the child consultation center, it was revealed that prior to the incident, the center had received multiple reports of “possible abuse.”
At that time, the child consultation center conducted a home visit, but “decided that there was no need to take the child into protective custody.”
Second arrest
According to investigators, the couple lived with their three daughters, but the only one who was victimized this time was not Fukumoto’s biological child.
The arrest is the second for Fukumoto, according to Nippon News Network (Sep. 12). He has already been convicted of setting fire to the Tsukuba City residence where the alleged crime took place in January of last year.
