On November 28, the Osaka High Court made a significant ruling by acquitting Takahiro Imanishi, a man who had previously been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the alleged fatal assault of his young daughter. Imanishi, who was 35 at the time, had been incarcerated for about five and a half years before being granted bail in July.

The case dates back to December 16, 2017, when Imanishi's 2-year-old daughter suffered severe head trauma in their Osaka apartment, eventually leading to her death a week later. Imanishi initiated an emergency call, reporting that his daughter was not breathing while his wife was away. His arrest occurred in November 2018 under suspicion of murder; however, prosecutors later shifted the charges to causing injuries that resulted in death and forcible indecency causing injury.

During the initial trial, the Osaka District Court determined Imanishi's culpability based largely on medical testimony, which suggested that the child sustained brainstem injuries indicative of significant external force, possibly consistent with shaking. While he was convicted on multiple charges, including forcible indecency resulting in injury, the court also recognized the ambiguity surrounding the injury believed to have been caused by the girl breaking her leg, which they attributed to a possible accident.

In the appeal process, which was heavily focused on the charge related to the child's death, eight medical experts provided testimony. The defense countered the prosecution's arguments by presenting findings from a pathologist who suggested a lack of definitive evidence linking the brainstem damage to an external force. They further argued that the intracranial bleeding might have stemmed from underlying medical conditions rather than any intentional harm. Additionally, regarding the allegations of injury caused by forcible indecency, the defense posited that the minor injury near the anus could have been the result of natural behavior, such as the child accidentally hurting herself while moving across the floor.