A 33-year-old former owner of a daycare facility was arrested, on Tuesday, in relation to the death of a 1-year-old baby she was looking after, police revealed.
According to investigators, Naoko Yoshida was accused of adding dissolved salt in the milk of Ako Shitasaka, a child she was caring at a daycare facility in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, on August 17, 2015.
The baby began vomiting soon after she returned home together with her father. She was taken to a hospital, but died approximately three hours later.
Yoshida has reportedly admitted to making the baby drink the salt-infused drink, but has declined any intentions to harm her and “didn’t think she would die,” Fuji TV reported.
Shortly after the death, the hospital the baby was treated at contacted the prefectural police with a request to investigate, as medical tests showed that she had been most likely poisoned. The case had been under investigation since.
Following the arrest, Shitaska’s parents released a statement through their lawyer saying that they “hope similar cases will never occur again.” The statement also read: “Regardless of what is done, our daughter will never return to us. But at least, (we are grateful) that the truth came to light.”
Yoshida’s daycare facility closed soon after Shitaska’s death, just a month after it had opened, Fuji TV said. (JapanToday)