NIIGATA (TR) – Niigata Prefectural Police have arrested a 31-year-old female civic employee for fatally assaulting her infant daughter at their residence in Nagaoka City, reports NHK (June 13).

At around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Noriko Ito, an employee of the Nagaoka City office, is alleged to have repeatedly thrown Hikari, aged 3 months, to the floor of the residence.

The cause of death was a cerebral contusion brought about by a strong blow, police said.

That evening, police accused Ito of murder. “I was troubled by childcare and driven into a corner,” the suspect was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations.

According to police, Ito shares the residence with her husband, son and Hikari. After the incident, a relative arrived at the residence and found Hikari collapsed on the floor.

After the relative alerted emergency services, Hikari was confirmed dead at a hospital.