Couple arrested for abusing 14-year-old boy in Osaka

The mother of a 14-year-old boy and a 34-year-old man, who lives with them in Nose, Osaka Prefecture, were arrested Saturday on suspicion of inflicting bodily harm to the boy, police said.

Katsumi Uda, a convenience store employee from Kyoto, frequented the boy's home from about three years ago after acquainting himself with the 39-year-old mother, Suzuyo Kita, a worker at a supermarket, according to investigations.

The second-year student of a junior high school lived until recently at his home with the mother, his 10-year-old sister and his grandparents. Uda had been of late living with them off and on.

Citing the need for supervision, Uda began abusing the boy at one point. At least from late August to early September, he repeatedly beat the boy, forced him to sit on the floor with his legs folded and limited his intake of food. Uda also restricted the boy by a collar sometimes, police said.

Since February last year, a local child consultation center received reports about the abuse from the boy's school and concerned people.

The boy was found to have lost about 5 kilograms when he was taken into protective custody in September, but he has since recovered and has begun attending school, police said.