Man keeps mother’s dead body in flat for 10 years: Here’s why he did not inform the police

A 60-year-old man in Japan has been arrested after police found his mother’s dead body in her flat. It had been there for 10 years.

Takehisa Miyawaki said he did not report her death due to social phobia. The man has no job or permanent home.

The case came to light in May when a government worker in Kobe saw Miyawaki limping on the road. When asked about his identity and mother, Miyawaki stayed silent. This made the official suspicious, and he informed the police.

In June, police went to the flat registered under Miyawaki’s mother’s name. They found piles of garbage. Later, they discovered a skeleton in the toilet.

Miyawaki admitted that he had known of his mother’s death but did not inform anyone. The police charged him with corpse abandonment. This incident has shocked many and raised questions about social isolation in Japan’s ageing society, according to the South China Morning Post.

“About 10 years ago, my mother was found not breathing in the toilet. Her body had turned cold. She did not respond to any prompting,” SCMP quoted Miyawaki as telling the officers.

“As an ordinary person, I knew that my mother had passed away. I dared not call the police because I have a social phobia,” he added.

In early July, Kobe police confirmed through DNA that the dead body found was indeed that of Miyawaki’s mother. She had likely died over a year ago. There were no signs of murder. However, the investigation is still ongoing.

Social media reaction

Many online users blamed the son. One of them said he had faked social phobia just to keep getting his mother’s pension. Another wondered how neighbours failed to notice.

“For so many years, why did her neighbours not find out about her death? Was there not a strong smell from her body?” the user wrote.