Japanese Man Arrested for Keeping Son in Cage for 20 Years

Japanese police on Saturday reportedly arrested a 73-year-old man accused of keeping his son in a cage for more than two decades. The suspect, identified in local news reports as Yoshitane Yamasaki, has reportedly admitted to the allegations but claimed he had no choice due to his son’s mental illness. “I made my son live in a cage for more than 20 years because he has mental problems and acted up,” Yamasaki was quoted as saying by NHK. He said he still fed his son and allowed him to bathe every day. The wooden cage, which was built next to Yamasaki’s main house, was reportedly a mere 3.3-feet high and just under 6-feet wide. The son, who is now 42, is said to be in stable condition after being rescued from the cage but suffering some damage to his back.