Japanese Man Arrested for Putting Girlfriend's Daughter in Washing Machine While Drunk

Man Runs Girlfriend's Child Through Washing Machine After Drinking
Sustains Minor Bruises, No Threat to Life

Promotional photo by Japanese police unrelated to the article content
[Photo by Japanese National Police Agency]

A man in Japan was arrested for putting his live-in girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter into a washing machine and turning it on after drinking alcohol.

On the 19th, local media including Japan's NHK reported that at around 8:40 a.m., Japanese police arrested Hideaki Azui (30) on suspicion of injuring his live-in girlfriend's child by putting her into a washing machine and turning it on at a shared residence on the first floor in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The report was made by the live-in girlfriend, who called for help immediately after Hideaki started the washing machine. Police arrived at the scene and arrested Hideaki. During the police investigation, he refused to say anything and did not offer any excuses. Fortunately, the child sustained only minor bruises on her leg and is reported to be in no life-threatening condition.

It is known that Hideaki was drinking alcohol at the time of the incident. The residence where he currently lives is registered under the live-in girlfriend's name, and Japanese police are investigating the detailed circumstances of the case.

Meanwhile, since the 1990s, social interest in child abuse issues in Japan has increased, and legal systems have been actively established. Child abuse in Japan is broadly classified into four types: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. As of 2021, the number of child abuse consultation and response cases by type were as follows: emotional abuse (60.1%), physical abuse (23.7%), neglect (15.1%), and sexual abuse (1.1%). Approximately 90% of child abuse perpetrators were the child's parents (father 41.5%, mother 47.5%).