An 81-year-old Japanese man was arrested on Thursday for pushing his wheelchair-bound wife of 40 years into the sea, killing her, according to Japanese reports.
Hiroshi Fujiwara, from eastern Japan, reportedly said he was "tired" of taking care of his disabled spouse, 79-year-old Teruko, and admitted to pushing her off a pier.
After the act, Fujiwara reportedly went to his eldest son's home, where he confessed to the murder, according to local reports. He was arrested after his son turned him in to local police.
As per Japanese news outlet Mainichi Shimbun, a fisherman who discovered Teruko's corpse floating in the water also contacted authorities not long after Fujiwara was detained.
Elder abuse in Japan at record high
The incident comes amid a worrying trend in the Land of the Rising Sun, where elder abuse among relatives of the victim skyrocketed in recent years.
A caretaker wearing a 'HAL for care support' robot suit pushes a wheelchair at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo, Japan, February 5, 2018 (credit: REUTERS/KIM KYUNG-HOON)
According to the Japan Times, the number of elder abuse by relatives in the nation rose by 2.1% during fiscal 2020, which ended in March 2021, to a record 17,281 cases.
Nearly 70% of elder abuse victims suffered physical abuse, according to data gathered by the Japanese welfare ministry.
DerHoggenCatten on November 5th, 2022 at 16:50 UTC »
Imagine the terror of his wife's last moments as someone who was helpless and disabled. She's unable to defend or save herself and her husband wheels her off a pier into cold water and she slowly drowns. It's horrifying putting yourself into her shoes in those final minutes of life.
I know that it is hard taking care of elderly people, but he had a son. He could have gone to his son and told him he was at the end of his rope and asked for help rather than dump his wife into the ocean.
CincyStout on November 5th, 2022 at 13:27 UTC »
From the article: "Hiroshi Fujiwara, 81, reportedly said he was "tired" of taking care of his disabled spouse, 79-year-old Teruko, and admitted to pushing her off a pier."
It's tragic. Caring for elderly or disabled family members can take a toll on anyone. I wonder what type of sort services see available to people in these situations in Japan.
necesitafresita on November 5th, 2022 at 13:19 UTC »
This just breaks my heart, and I can't imagine a parent coming over just to confess to murdering your other parent. Fuck.