POLICE FIND MAN LIVING WITH MOTHER’S SKELETON, ARREST 53-YEAR-OLD SON IN JAPAN

Police in Japan have arrested a 53-year-old man after discovering the skeletal remains of his mother inside his home, in a case that has shocked the country.

The arrest was made after a city official raised concerns about the elderly woman’s whereabouts.

THE DISCOVERY

Takehiro Hashizume, an unemployed man from Isesaki City in Gunma Prefecture, was arrested on Thursday after police raided his home and found the skeleton of his mother, who would have been in her 80s, lying on the living room floor.

When police arrived at his door, Hashizume initially tried to mislead them, claiming his mother was in hospital. Police ignored him and entered the home, where they made the grim discovery.

THE SUSPECT’S CLAIM

Confronted by the decomposed remains, Hashizume changed his story.

“The body is my mother, but she was alive until today,” he told detectives. Police believe the man had been living with his mother’s corpse for the past two years. No obvious external injuries were found on the body.

Hashizume has denied allegations of abandoning a corpse.

THE INVESTIGATION

The case came to light on October 6 when a city official contacted police, saying: “There is an elderly person whose whereabouts have not been confirmed for several years”.

Police are now investigating the exact time and cause of death. No motive for keeping the skeleton has been revealed, but Japanese media noted that corpses have previously been kept secret to continue claiming benefit payments.

WHY IT MATTERS

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The case is a grim reminder of the isolation and neglect that some elderly people experience, even in a country with robust social services.

It also raises questions about how the death went unnoticed for years, and whether the motive was financial. ValidViewNetwork reports that the investigation is ongoing.