Skeletons of three infants found in 70 year old woman’s wardrobe

A 70 year old Japanese woman in Osaka alarmed police with a phone call stating she had just given birth. Upon arrival at her home, officers discovered the skeleton remains of three infants hidden in a wardrobe for around 40 years.

The woman from Daito, Osaka, Japan, made a sudden call to the police on Thursday, May 25, vaguely claiming to have given birth and prompting the police to rush to her residence. Upon searching her home, the officers found three small plastic bags containing the skeletal remains of infants in a Japanese-style room on the second floor. Each bag was placed inside a larger black plastic bag.

After conducting preliminary forensic examinations, the investigators determined that all three infants were at full term, with a gestation period of 40 weeks, but they were unable to identify their sex, time of death, and cause of death. There were also no signs of broken bones, and it remains uncertain whether the infants died in utero or post-birth.

According to initial police investigations, the elder woman lives with her 80-year-old husband and two adult children aged around 50 years old. Investigators will subsequently conduct DNA testing on the infant remains, and they will examine the case under the offence of abandoning a corpse.

However, under Japanese criminal law, the statute of limitations for the crime of corpse abandonment is only three years. If the babies died more than three years ago, legal action against the 70 year old may not be possible.

Baby abandonment is nothing new in Thailand. Earlier this week a Nakhon Pathom Juvenile and Family Court released the mother of an 8 month old baby boy accused of throwing the baby into the Tha Chin River after the prosecutor failed to file charges within the 90-day deadline. The court is still investigating further, asking for clarification on five new points by July 25.

Two weeks ago, a Thai student gave birth and hid her baby in a fire escape. Read more HERE.