HYOGO (TR) – Hyogo Prefectural Police have re-arrested a 67-year-old woman and her son for allegedly letting her sick husband die without medical care, with the woman claiming she treated him with an “exorcism,” reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 29).
Chihiro Osaki, an unemployed resident of Nishinomiya City, and her 35-year-old son, Eisuke, were served fresh arrest warrants on Wednesday on suspicion of abandonment by a person responsible for protection resulting in death. The pair had already been in custody on suspicion of abandoning a corpse after leaving the man’s body in their home.
According to the Nishinomiya Police Station, the victim, 68-year-old Hiroshi Osaki, died of an aortic dissection.
Investigators allege that between February 22 and 25, the mother and son were fully aware that Hiroshi was in critical condition but failed to take him to a hospital or seek professional medical help. He subsequently died in early March.
Upon her re-arrest, Chihiro denied the allegations, telling police, “I performed a medical procedure called an exorcism.” Eisuke has remained silent during questioning.
The grim discovery was made after a concerned relative, who had been unable to contact Hiroshi, consulted with local authorities. Officers dispatched to the family’s residence to check on his welfare discovered his body left in a bedroom.
