Father arrested for allegedly confining his 42-year-old mentally ill son in cage for over 20 years in Japan

Authorities in Japan have arrested a 73-year-old man for allegedly confining his 42-year-old mentally ill son to a cage inside a prefabricated hut next to his house in the city of Sanda, for more than 20 years.

Police said they arrested Yoshitane Yamasaki on Saturday for confining his son for a 36-hour period from 10 a.m. on Jan. 18. The timing was when authorities learned of the son’s confinement when a city official visited the home in connection with nursing care for Yamasaki’s late wife.

The authorities also added that a plastic sheet was placed on the floor beneath the cage in which the son was confined, and the prefabricated hut was equipped with an air conditioner.

According to Japan times, the suspect began confining his son when he was 16 years old as his illness made him act violently.

Investigative sources revealed that the cage was about 1 meter high, 90 cm long and 1.8 meters wide.

It was also reported that Mr. Yamasaki admitted the allegations, telling authorities that he fed his son every day, and allowed him to bathe every other day.