Mom K*illed Children Who Bullied Her Daughter

They say hell hath no fury as a woman scorned, but the truth is, a mama bear is the fiercest creature walking the Earth. She’ll climb mountains and fight lions to protect her baby cubs. Sadly, a mother's devotion can be devastating when coupled with mental illness.

Zheng Yongshan is a prime example. A Chinese immigrant who moved to Japan in 2004 to marry a man, she loved her daughter dearly. Unfortunately, the demons of mental illness had slowly taken over without her knowledge or consent. Her reality had become distorted from real life; she believed she was protecting her daughter. Instead, she took her child's life.

In late 2005, Zheng’s behavior changed. Family reported that she seemed paranoid, distracted, and on edge. Schizophrenia was not widely discussed 20 years ago, and so, her strange behavior progressed, heavily misunderstood by those around her.

According to information from the Mayo Clinic, people with schizophrenia often experience distorted perceptions, thoughts, and reality. Untreated, the condition can develop into psychosis, delusions, and false beliefs that feel normal to them, but are completely unhinged to everyone else. Although schizophrenia sufferers typically aren’t violent, it can rarely lead to such catastrophic consequences.

Early on the morning of February 17, 2006, the 35-year-old mother buckled her daughter into the car and picked up two of the child’s classmates, 5-year-old boys, Jin Sano and Wakana Taetomo, promising to take them to school. All three kids attended kindergarten together. Zheng had previously arranged a carpool with the boys’ parents.

Zheng did not drive the kids to school. Instead, she drove about 190 miles from her home near Tokyo, Japan, to a farm area in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, and stabbed the boys to death in the stomach and back with a sharp sashimi kitchen knife. Wakana received 19 wounds; Jin, 13.

Zheng parked the car near the crime scene. A passerby saw one of the kids' bodies and notified authorities. Police found her holding the knife used in the murders. She was arrested later that day.

Prosecutors sought the death penalty, arguing she deliberately killed the boys. She chose a sharp knife out of the kitchen, after all, and had the mind to drive to a secluded field.

Presiding Judge Hidenori Nagai said Zheng was “in a state of diminished responsibility” and ordered mental health evaluations per the request of her lawyers.

Counsel for Zheng asked for an acquittal or lighter sentence based on the judge’s statements.

Zheng initially told investigators that the boys had bullied her daughter. During her trial, however, she offered no motive. Judge Nagai dismissed this defense as baseless.

Mental health experts diagnosed Zheng with schizophrenia and determined she endured a diminished state of mind when the crimes occurred.

At trial, Zheng told the court that she “stabbed dolls, not kids”. Later, she apologized, saying that she regretted what she had done.

The Osaka High Court sentenced Zheng to life in prison.

She remains behind bars, although it's unclear if she has received any help for her condition. About 1 in 200 people in Japan live with schizophrenia, yet Mental illness remains controversial in much of the world, including Japan.

Sources:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/02/03/national/womans-child-slaying-trialstarts/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9206739/