Parents Arrested After Baby Girl Seriously Injured in Chiba
Listen to the story
Police in Mobara, a city in Chiba Prefecture, have arrested a 25-year-old couple on suspicion of injuring their own baby daughter.
The baby is only three months old. She was found to be unconscious and in a critical condition.
Doctors examined her and discovered a subdural hematoma, a type of injury where blood builds up inside the skull, near the brain.
This kind of injury often happens after a strong blow or shaking. Police suspect the parents may have assaulted the child, causing the damage.
Both parents have now been formally taken into custody on suspicion of assault resulting in injury. This is a serious criminal charge in Japan.
Local police have opened an official investigation into the case. They are trying to understand exactly what happened to the baby and when.
At this stage, the baby's condition remains very serious, and it is not clear whether she will recover.
Police have not released further details about the couple or the exact circumstances of the incident, as the investigation is still ongoing.
Vocabulary7 words
- arrested
- taken by police because they may have broken the law
- unconscious
- not awake and unable to respond
- subdural hematoma
- a dangerous collection of blood inside the head, near the brain
- assaulted
- physically hurt someone on purpose
- assault resulting in injury
- a crime of hurting someone so badly they are injured
- investigation
- official police work to learn the full facts of a case
- custody
- being held by police, not free to leave
Quiz
Answer key
1. Assault resulting in injury 2. A subdural hematoma 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Police in Mobara, a city in Chiba Prefecture, have _____ a 25-year-old couple on suspicion of injuring their own baby daughter.
The baby is only three months old. She was found to be _____ and in a critical condition.
Doctors examined her and discovered a _____, a type of injury where blood builds up inside the skull, near the brain.
This kind of injury often happens after a strong blow or shaking. Police suspect the parents may have _____ the child, causing the damage.
Both parents have now been formally taken into _____ on suspicion of assault resulting in injury.
Local police have opened an official _____ into the case. They are trying to understand exactly what happened to the baby and when.
At this stage, the baby's condition remains very serious, and it is not clear whether she will _____.
Police have not released further details about the couple or the exact _____ of the incident, as the investigation is still ongoing.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think cases involving injured babies are treated so seriously by police?
- What responsibilities do you think society has to protect very young children?
- How might communities or hospitals notice signs of child abuse earlier?
- What questions would you want answered if you were a journalist covering this story?