SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police arrested arrested a 24-year-old woman for allegedly attempting to smother her newborn son to death at her apartment in Misato City following a suicide attempt, reports TV Asahi (Nov. 20).
At around 12:20 a.m., Sachi Sato allegedly attempted to smother her 11-day-old son to death by holding his face under a blanket.
Sato, who has been accused of attempted murder, admits to the charges, telling the Yoshikawa Police Station she wanted to be “freed from parenting.”
Later that morning, emergency personnel were alerted to the residence by the suspect’s husband after he awoke to find that the boy had gone limp. The baby’s life was subsequently saved, but authorities said the boy will suffer some lingering brain damage.
On Saturday morning, Sato was transported to a hospital after she attempted suicide. At the the time, she said that she had become troubled over parenting issues. Police had planned to contact a children’s welfare center on Monday.