In court, he covered his face and sobbed many times… Sad background to the murder of “82-year-old husband of 40 years of caregiving” who dropped his 79-year-old wife into the sea and killed her.

In court, the man covered his face repeatedly with his hands and sobbed. He apologized to his wife, saying, “I am sorry,” and “As long as I live, I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart.

The trial, which began on July 5, came to a conclusion on July 18 at the Odawara Branch of the Yokohama District Court, when the judge sentenced Hiroshi Fujiwara, 82, an unemployed man accused of murder, to three years in prison. Fujiwara is alleged to have murdered his wife, Teruko, 79, by pushing her wheelchair into the sea at a fishing port near their home in Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, in November 2010.

Teruko had suffered a stroke, and Fujiwara had been taking care of her alone for 40 years. When her eldest son recommended that she be placed in an elderly care facility, she refused, saying that she did not want to be separated from her wife and that she did not want to place a financial burden on her son.

The defense argued that probation was appropriate because the eldest son had forgiven Fujiwara for his crime. The presiding judge, while acknowledging the defendant’s devoted care, sentenced him to prison, saying, ‘Teruko-san’s sense of despair and regret is immeasurable. Fujiwara said, ‘I have caused my wife to suffer like that on my own. I intend to receive severe punishment.

FRIDAY Digital” reported on the case in detail in an article distributed on November 25, 2010. We would like to look back at the sad background of the defendant Fujiwara’s crime, as well as his loving husband and wife and devoted caregivers (content has been modified).

Sitting in a wheelchair, he said, “No!

There is a person floating in the sea.”

A man who was fishing on the quay in Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, called 110. The police officer who arrived at the scene found an elderly woman being rocked by the waves. She was transported to the hospital, but was soon confirmed dead. Police divers searched the ocean near the scene and found a wheelchair that was believed to have been used by the woman.

On November 22, 2010, the Odawara branch of the Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office charged Fujiwara, a resident of Oiso Town, with murder. He is alleged to have drowned his wife. Fujiwara told the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Oiso Station, where he was arrested, that he “took pity on his wife, whom he was caring for, as she became physically disabled.

The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on November 2. The defendant invited his wife Teruko, who lived with him, to go for a walk, and they drove to the Oiso fishing port near their home. Teruko was disabled and could not walk alone.

When they arrived at the fishing port, Fujiwara moved Teruko’s wheelchair closer to the shore. It was a clear day, but the surrounding area was already dark. Fujiwara and Teruko watched the sea for a while. When he made up his mind, he put pressure on the grip of the wheelchair and ……. He pushed Teruko into the sea with the wheelchair. Teruko screamed “No! Teruko screamed, “No!” and fell into the sea. ……

After returning home by car, defendant Fujiwara informed his eldest son, who lived elsewhere, that he had dropped his wife in the sea. The eldest son, startled, reported to the police that his father said he had pushed his mother into the water, and the incident was discovered.

The defendant Fujiwara is from the Kansai region and moved to Kanagawa Prefecture when he started working for a major supermarket, Nagasakiya (now a subsidiary of Don Quijote). He worked at a store in Hiratsuka City, where he met and married Teruko, who lived nearby. They were a very close couple.

It was about 40 years ago that a dark cloud began to gather over their married life. Teruko, who had always had bad legs, suffered a stroke. Since then, Teruko has had difficulty walking by herself, but Fujiwara has been taking care of her very hard,” said an acquaintance of the couple.

I have to take care of her.”

Fujiwara and Teruko lived in a housing complex in Oiso Town. Fujiwara participated in the residents’ cleaning activities from early in the morning and did all the household chores such as laundry and cooking. When Teruko was in good health, they took trips to Odawara and Izu.

According to a resident of the apartment complex, defendant Fujiwara had a friendly disposition and usually greeted people with a smile. He really cared for Teruko, and those around him were impressed. However, he had a tendency to keep things to himself, and was said to have said, ‘I love the idea of putting her in an elderly care facility. She would say, “I feel sorry to put her in an institution for the elderly. I have to take care of her.

The incident that led directly to the case occurred in early October. In early October, Teruko Fujiwara tried to sit on the toilet, but she fell down, and her health deteriorated. Fujiwara became anxious and stressed, and tended to miss cleaning activities at the housing complex. Neighbors often heard him yelling at them.

Fujiwara was probably carrying the burden of caring for his wife all by himself. If only he had been more open about his problems with his family and acquaintances. …… In response to the police investigation, Fujiwara stated, “I was tired of caring for my wife for 40 years. I was tired of taking care of him for 40 years. My wife did not ask me to kill her. （There is no doubt in my mind that I took Teruko’s life.

It is never shameful to discuss family problems with those around you. Hesitation will only make the situation worse. It is important to have the courage to ask for help.