TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday revealed the discovery of a multiple human fetuses beneath a residence in Bunkyo Ward that was once occupied by obstetricians, reports Jiji Press (Mar. 12).
On Sunday, the owner of the property tipped off police about the discovery of between three and four fetuses in bottles of formaldehyde beneath the bathroom floor of the residence, located in the Hakusan area.
According to police, the fetuses, whose umbilical cords were attached, likely wound up in the containers after abortions or still births. One was possibly aged around 6 months after conception.
The house is about 80 years old. After being rented for 20 years, it has been vacant house since 2015. The fetuses were found by an exterminator hired by the new owner of the residence, a woman in her 30s, to spray for termites on March 8.
The grandfather and great-grandmother of a former resident were both obstetricians, police said. The grandfather died 31 years ago, while the great-grandmother passed away 26 years before that.
Police are now seeking to speak with relatives of both persons regarding the discovery. Police have not launched a criminal investigation into the matter.