Child care company president pleads guilty to a baby's death from suffocation

Former president of Chibikko-En, an unauthorized child-care center, at
the Tokyo District Court on October 30 pleaded guilty to professional
negligence resulting in the death of a four-month old baby.

The baby died last March in Chibikko-En in Toshima Ward, Tokyo from
suffocation after being pressed against an eight-month old baby who was put
next to him in the same bed.

According to the prosecutor's opening statement, former President Maekawa
Masamitsu ordered all Chibikko-En facilities to accept all applicants in
order to increase company profits. As a result, two babies were always put
in one bed because of lack of beds and space.

Twenty babies and children died in Chibikko-En facilities from 1979 to
1998, and at least five of them died from suffocation.

Akahata on October 31 criticized the government for having failed to take
steps to get the poor conditions in Chibikko-En improved and provide
sufficient number of government-authorized child care centers.

The number of children on the waiting list for child care centers was
about 58,000 as of October 2000.

Central and local governments are responsible for providing good care for
children so that their human rights are protected, the paper said. (end)