An elderly man was arrested after allegedly pushing his wife, who used a wheelchair, off a harbor wall in Japan and leaving her to drown.
According to the Daily Times, 81-year-old Hiroshi Fujiwara pushed his wife, 79, into the sea outside their hometown in Oiso, thirty-five miles from Tokyo.
“The married couple lived alone in a flat on the seaside town, with Teruko Fujiwara only receiving help from her husband. Hiroshi said he was ‘tired’ of taking care of her after more than 40 years of marriage, according to a Japanese newspaper.”
The local newspaper reported that on Thursday, November 3, police arrested Fujiwara on suspicion of murdering his wife.
According to the police officials, after a little investigation, the Oiso native pled guilty and admitted to the allegations.
“He said his wife, Teruko, lost the ability to move her legs more than four decades ago, and that he was ‘tired’ of taking care of her,” said one police officer.
The newspaper also wrote, “Police suspect Fujiwara drove Teruko to Oiso port on Nov. 2 after saying he wanted to go out for a walk. At around 5:30 p.m. that day, while she was in her wheelchair, he pushed her into the water from a paved quay.”
After a few hours, a fisherman spotted his wife’s body and immediately informed the municipal government, who then contacted the police.
According to the local newspaper, the couple’s eldest son called the police and reported the incident.
“My father said he pushed my mother (into the sea),” he told the officer.
After receiving the call, the police performed a search operation and retrieved the woman’s body. The wheelchair-bound lady was taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead by the doctors.
Hiroshi is currently in police custody and said he drowned his wife because he was tired of looking after her for the last forty years.
Following the incident, the couple’s neighboring families expressed their shock and grief over the news and said that it was a big tragedy and they never thought something like this could ever happen.
One of their neighbors, a woman who has been living in the same apartment complex as Hiroshi and his late wife, expressed her grief over the incident and said,
“It is indeed very shocking news, I could not believe it at first. Neither did I or anyone who knew the couple for long,” she said.
She added, “He is friendly and often gave a ride to his wife, who I understand was bedridden. He was devoted to his wife, and there was nothing to suggest (he could kill her), but I guess he was struggling inside.”
What are your thoughts about this news? Let us know in the comment section.
Sources: Daily Times – Asahi Shimbun
At that age i tink it was too much for him alone to deal with he him self is a child now an would have needed help an he needed time for him self i dont give him the right to have done what he did but hr could have just said sumting or lrft her at thr old people home or ask his son to help with s maid to assist with her or both of them its rough at that age but whats done can not be taken back
It doesn’t matter what we think the fact is murder is murder for whatever the reason.
He doesn’t have that much to live anyway even if he does live to be a hundred.
So as far as punishment I would just leave it in God’s hands.