TOKYO (TR) – A newborn girl died after her 30-year-old mother left her alone for about 16 hours at their residence in Taito Ward, police said, reports TV Asahi (July 24).
Between around 6:00 p.m. on July 22 and 10:00 a.m. the following day, Ai Sakamoto, of no known occupation, allegedly left her daughter, aged 3 months, inside the residence.
When she arrived home, Sakamoto telephoned emergency services finding the girl “unconscious.” The girl was later confirmed dead at a hospital.
Upon her arrest on suspicion of negligence by a guardian, Sakamoto admitted to the allegations. “I went out to earn income,” she was quoted by police.
Police plan to use the results of an autopsy that was scheduled to be held on Saturday to determine the cause of death.
Police are also investigating whether to change the charges against the suspect to negligence by a guardian resulting in death.
