A 73-year-old man, who allegedly confined his mentally ill son in a small cage for more than two decades, was arrested on Saturday in western Japan, the police said.
A local police spokesman told AFP that Yoshitane Yamasaki was arrested on suspicion of imprisoning his son, now aged 42, at their house in the city of Sanda in Hyogo prefecture. However, the spokesman added that the investigation is still going on and hence the details of the case were not available.
Local media reported that the man forced his son to live inside a wooden cage, measuring 1m high and 1.8m wide. It was built in a prefabricated hut next to the main house.
Reports said that the suspect has admitted the allegations.
The public broadcaster NHK quoted the father telling city officials that "I made my son live in a cage for more than 20 years because he has mental problems and acted up."
According to the accused father, he fed his son and let him bathe every other day. NHK reported that the son, whose name has been withheld, is in a stable condition. But, he is suffering from a bent back and he was sent to a welfare facility.
