An octogenarian was arrested in eastern Japan for allegedly killing his wheelchair-bound wife by pushing her into the sea.
Police in Oiso, Kanagawa prefecture, said on Thursday (Nov 3) that Hiroshi Fujiwara, 81, admitted to the charges, saying he had grown tired of taking care of his disabled spouse for 40 years.
Officers said the incident happened on Wednesday at a pier in Oiso after Fujiwara drove Teruko, 79, to the spot and put the woman in her wheelchair. He then pushed her along for a few minutes before tipping it into the water.
Fujiwara later went to his eldest son’s home and confessed to the act, Japan Today reported. The son called the police, saying “my dad says he pushed mum into the sea”.
The Mainichi newspaper reported a fisher also contacted the police emergency hotline after seeing a body floating in the water. The victim was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Online commentators accused the government of ignoring the issue of elder abuse in the rapidly ageing country and recommended euthanasia to relieve the suffering of terminally ill adults.
In Japan, which has a population of 126 million, more than one-quarter of people are aged 65 and above. That proportion is projected to reach one-third of the population by 2050.
Last year, a survey by the health and welfare ministry found 17,281 incidents of elderly people being physically assaulted by family members in 2020, with 25 deaths occurring as a result.
Some said they sympathised with the man whose role as an elderly carer probably did not receive adequate help from the state.
“I don’t think this was an evil act. More likely out of mutual love, but still a very difficult thing to agree to for both of them,” said a user.
Wrote another: “How sad. After all these years the man has given up and decided to end his partner’s life. This is not easy for many to understand unless you’ve been there.”
Others suggested the husband was completely in the wrong and “love” was not a factor, calling for a punishment that fits the crime.
“Shame on anyone defending this. I hope he rots in jail and that the deceased rests in peace now after that horrible way to go,” a user wrote.
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
