Fukushima prefectural police said on the 10th that the mother of a 3-year-old boy in Iwaki had consulted them about violence by her partner in the summer, and the boy has since died after being struck in the stomach, Kyodo News reported.
Police named the boy as Yo Oddera. They arrested Ryo Matsui, 41, a company employee and the mother's partner, on suspicion of injury. They now plan to switch the charge to injury resulting in death and send him to prosecutors on the 10th.
The consultation came in the summer. Police met the boy in person at the time and said they found no clear traces of violence such as bruises.
Police initially said the boy had suffered a serious injury in which a hole opened in his intestine. They corrected this to say the hole had opened in his stomach.