Taiwan-based Japanese comedian suspected of abusing 4-month-old daughter

台灣的日籍諧星涉嫌虐待4個月大的女兒

Japanese comedian Kenji Kansaisuspected ofabusing 4-month-old daughter


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A Japanese comedian, who has become a TV star in Taiwan, is suspected of abusing his 4-month-old infant daughter.

Kenji Kansai (葛西健二), 42, who has become a celebrity on Taiwanese TV and married a Taiwanese woman in 2012, took his 4-month-old daughter to a clinic on Saturday(Aug. 4) with serious head trauma, a nose contusion and numerous abrasions on her body, causing doctors to quickly become suspicious that the wounds had been inflicted by him, reported News Magazine Asia.

Oddly, earlier that day, Kansaihad posted a photo of his baby being bathed and a large red mark was visible on her forehead, as well as welts on her cheeks, arms and navel. Concerned netizens soon wrote asking him if the water temperature was too high, to which he responded "Thank you for your advice. I will pay more attention to the water temperature next time I bathe her."


Red boxes show welts on Kansai's baby. (Photo from KenjiKansaiFacebook page)

After doctors examined the baby at the hospital, they found that she had suffered a skull fracture and symptoms of brain edema. When questioned by police, Kansaisaid that a month ago when he was not paying attention,his daughter "had fallen on her head, but fortunately she was not badly hurt," reportedETtoday.At three months, babies are not yet able to crawl, but some can begin to roll somewhat at that stage.

At 6 p.m. on Aug. 4, Kansaiclaimed when he was holding his daughter while sitting on the sofa, he stood up to pick up the newspaper, when she started to slip from his grip. He claims that he then accidently overreacted and used too much force to prevent her from falling, causing her to hit her head and nose on his clavicle, but she did not seem to be badly hurt, reportedUDN.At 7 p.m. that night, he and his wife discovered that their daughter hadbecome weak and would not respond to their voices, and it was only then that he decided to take her to a clinic.

Staff at the clinic found that the baby was in critical condition and immediately called 119 to have her sent to Wanffang Hospital for emergency treatment. The next morning, socialworkers and police notified the Taipei Prosecutor's Office of a suspected incident of child abuse and police brought in Kansai and his wife for questioning.

His subsequent statements failed to allay police suspicions of child abuse and the case is still under investigation.

Kansaimajored in Chinese in college before moving to Taiwan, where he started out as a street performer in Taipei's Ximendingneighborhood before rising to fame on Taiwanese variety shows. Kansaithen went onto act in films, TV shows and commercials, including a part in the film "Kano."

Kansai is a frequent gueston many Taiwanese TV shows and as recently as four days ago took his daughter along with him for a Televised interview.