Alps no Mori Negligent Homicide Case: Arrest and Investigation Details

2023-12-22 10:33:12

Suspect Shinji Utsu (60), the representative of a corporation that operates Alps no Mori, an after-school day service facility in Suita City, Osaka, and his older brother Masami Utsu (65) were arrested at the facility in December last year. Yuki Shimizu (13 years old at the time), a first-year junior high school student, went missing after getting out of the courtesy car, and was later found dead in a nearby river. The company was accused of neglecting safety management. He was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide.

At the time, the facility did not honor the agreement with the parents that two staff members would be present at all times, and instead handled the child alone.

A subsequent investigation by the police revealed that the same student had gone missing in 2019 after getting out of a courtesy vehicle, and was protected by staff as he was about to jump into the river at the scene.

According to the police, the facility staff was alone at the time and did not report the incident to parents or the local government.

In response to the investigation, Representative Utsu and others acknowledged the facts and stated, “We did not report the matter because we feared it would be audited by the local government.”

The police believe that even though they were fully aware of the possibility of an accident, they failed to take any precautions, and are investigating the details of what happened.

Police also referred the 48-year-old male employee who was driving the courtesy car at the time of the accident to the public prosecutor on the 22nd on suspicion of causing death due to professional negligence.

This means that he has admitted to the charges.

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