Mother of Abused 6-Year-Old Girl Makes Astonishing Claims in Court

“Defendant is also accused of conspiring”

At the first trial held on August 20 at the Okayama District Court concerning the case of a 6-year-old girl who allegedly died from abuse by her mother and her mother’s partner, the prosecution presented the charges against the mother, Aya Nishida (36), who is accused of confinement leading to death and coercion, as stated at the outset.

According to the indictment, Defendant Nishida is alleged to have conspired with her partner, Seiji Funabashi (41, who has been sentenced to 14 years in prison), to cause the death of her daughter, A, at their home in Okayama City. They are said to have forced A to stand on a hot stove for an extended period and then wrapped her tightly in a blanket, leaving her in anunconscious state.

In court, Nishida claimed, “It is true that I could not protect A, but I did not take the initiative in the actions.” On the other hand, the prosecution argued, “We received a message from Nishida via LINE saying that A was not obeying. Funabashi then committed the abuse. Nishida can be said to have conspired in the actions.” (A reporter covering the judiciary for a national newspaper)

“FRIDAY Digital” reported in detail on the abuse case leading to A’s death in an article published on February 14, 2022. We will re-examine the shocking actions of Nishida and Funabashi (with some content revisions).

 

“A fun time is about to begin.”

 

“A pleasant mission has arrived. A fun time is about to begin.”

 

Saying this, the man pulled the girl’s hair and punched her in the face. He also shoved his hand into her mouth, gripping her lower jaw and continuing the assault. He reportedly made her stand in a large pot on a chair for nearly six hours until dawn.

 

On February 9, 2022, Okayama Prefectural Police arrested Seiji Funabashi, who was in a relationship with the mother, Aya Nishida, for repeatedly abusing the 6-year-old girl in Okayama City’s Kita Ward. The victim, A, was Nishida’s daughter. She was transported to the hospital in a brain-dead state in September 2021 and died from hypoxic encephalopathy in January 2022.

 

“In September 2021, the Child Consultation Center notified the police that a girl transported to the hospital was in a brain-dead state, suggesting a possible incident. This led to the arrest of Nishida and Funabashi. A was reportedly wrapped tightly in a blanket right before being transported, making breathing difficult.

 

According to the police investigation, there were at least five instances of assault, including being punched in the face, in September 2021. Nishida denies involvement, claiming it is unreasonable to be considered an accomplice. Funabashi admitted to the abuse, including the use of violence and making A stand for long periods on a chair. He reportedly said things like ‘A fun time is about to begin’ while assaulting A, and Nishida reportedly did nothing to stop it, tacitly approving of the abuse” (National Newspaper Social Affairs Reporter).

 

The abuse was horrifically severe.

“A was reportedly forced to stand in a pot for nearly six hours without being allowed to use the toilet. She was stripped naked, sprayed with liquid from a misting bottle, and exposed to a fan. According to Funabashi’s confession, he even forcefully inserted his fingers into her nostrils. In September 2020, a passerby witnessed A standing naked in a cemetery at night, being harshly reprimanded. To increase her terror, she was also blindfolded.

The abuse was recorded on Funabashi’s smartphone, and multiple videos showing the mistreatment were discovered. Nishida’s home, where the abuse occurred, was equipped with several indoor cameras. Funabashi’s home was about 10 kilometers away, but it seems that Nishida used the cameras to monitor A’s condition while she was absent.” (same source)

It appears that the abuse was a daily occurrence. Nishida’s smartphone contained messages such as “We need to start feeding her soon; her complexion is looking bad,” indicating that A was not given enough food.

According to multiple media sources, nearby residents had been hearing A’s cries and loud reprimands from adults even before she was taken to the hospital. Could the incident have been prevented?

“The Okayama City Child Consultation Center publicly stated that in June 2019, they had sent a written notice to Nishida, suspecting neglect of A, who was then three years old. When the child consultation office conducted an interview, A had a bruise about the size of a 10-yen coin on her forehead, but Nishida explained it as possibly being caused by a bump somewhere. Nishida also denied the existence of Funabashi, claiming there was no such person.” (same source)

Nishida’s trial is scheduled to conclude on August 29.