Teen accused of killing sister, 6, after 'getting tired of caring for her'
A teenage boy has admitted killing his sister, 6, before dumping her body in a children's playground and claiming she fell off a jungle gym because he was "tired of looking after her", a court has heard.
The six-year-old girl, who was not named, was found dead in the playground with several broken ribs and more than 100 bruises in the Japanese city of Otsu on August 1.
A trial accusing the victim's 17-year-old brother, who was also not identified, of beating his sister to death and dumping her body in the playground began on August 25.
Local news site Mainichi reported the little girl's brother got the attention of passers-by near the playground on August 1, saying: "My sister has fallen from the jungle gym in the playground."
A resident told the publication they heard the young man muttering to himself: "Will I be blamed if they can't save her?"
Police were called to the scene and the girl was transferred to a hospital where she was declared dead shortly after arriving.
An autopsy later revealed the little girl had more than 100 bruises all over her body and several of her ribs had been broken.
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As a result of the injuries, the police began to doubt the 17-year-old's claims his sister died after falling from a jungle gym and arrested him.
He was arrested on suspicions of inflicting bodily injury resulting in death.
Police claimed she had been brutally beaten on her stomach and back.
The 17-year-old allegedly told officers, "I was tired of taking care of my sister", Mainichi reported.
On August 25, the Otsu District Public Prosecutors Office referred the case to a family court which is now waiting to prosecute the teen, who is currently in preliminary detention.
The siblings are believed to come from a neglected family where their mother fails to take proper care of them leaving them to beg on the streets just to buy food.
The six-year-old was questioned on July 20 by police who found her pestering strangers in a shop for spare change.
Authorities took the girl home where they found her mother was absent, local media reported.
However, due to the age of her brother, they didn't consider the case a priority and decided to leave the little girl with her brother who officers noticed was "almost an adult".
The trial is ongoing.
– Australscope
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