TOKYO (TR) – A court here this month a 23-year-old woman in Nerima Ward a suspended prison term for putting her newborn baby in a trash can immediately after giving birth last year, reports NHK (Oct. 6).
On October 6, the Tokyo District Court handed Noa Kitagawa, of no known occupation, a three-year prison term, suspended for five years. The prosecution had sought a four-year term.
In June of 2024, Kitagawa allegedly placed her baby boy in plastic bag after she gave birth in the bathroom of her husband’s home and abandoned him in a trash can at a nearby apartment.
The baby was discovered by a resident of the apartment about 12 hours later and rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit. He suffered from hypothermia and pneumonia but survived.
During the trial, Kitagawa admitted to charges of attempted murder and apologized. “I didn’t want anyone to know that I had given birth,” she said. She added that she did not tell anyone around her because she “didn’t want to cause them any trouble.”
Papakatsu
The baby was the result of repeated relationships known as papakatsu, or compensated dating. The day after abandoning her baby, she attended a live performance by her favorite male idol.
In its closing argument on September 29, the prosecution pointed out that “there were ample opportunities to consult with her family” and that “treating the baby like trash and leaving it there was a high risk of the baby dying.”
Meanwhile, the defense argued that the defendant has a characteristic known as “borderline intelligence,” which makes it difficult for her to properly prioritize things when faced with problems. It said that this should be taken into consideration when sentencing, saying that a sentence of three years in prison, suspended for five years was appropriate.
Kitagawa also said, “I regret that my selfish thoughts and actions caused such a terrible thing to my baby. From now on, I will put my baby’s happiness first and do what I can for him.”
