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Midwife Arrested in Patient's Fecal Contamination Death
16 Jul
Summary
- Midwife arrested for allegedly contaminating patient's IV drip.
- Patient died from septic shock due to fecal contamination.
- Suspect denies mixing feces into the IV tube.
Miyuki Furukawa, a 51-year-old midwife, was arrested on July 15th, 2026, on suspicion of murder. She is accused of contaminating a 75-year-old patient's intravenous drip with feces at Kashiwa Tanaka Hospital on January 30th, 2026. The patient, who resided in Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture, subsequently died from septic shock.
Investigators believe the feces was introduced into the IV extension tube around 4 a.m. The patient's condition worsened dramatically, and he died the following day. An autopsy confirmed septic shock as the cause of death. Furukawa, who worked at the hospital until February 2026, denies the allegations, stating she did not mix feces into the tube.
The hospital reported the incident on February 1st, noting a foreign substance in the IV tube. Police analysis confirmed it was likely human feces. Security footage and other evidence led to Furukawa's identification as the suspect. The motive and relationship between the suspect and victim are still under investigation.
Aoikai Medical Corp., the hospital's operator, issued a statement condemning the alleged act as unforgivable and expressing deep regret over the incident.
