Japanese police have sent documents to prosecutors in connection with two nursery school teachers in Osaka over the death of a one-year-old boy.

Police allege that the head and the former childcare employee of the preschool in Osaka failed to ensure safety when they were feeding the child.

In February 2020, Ishida Yukito, then 14 months old, died after apple and other food served for lunch got stuck in his throat.

The police said the former childcare worker put apple and a patty into the boy's mouth after he spat out the apple.

Investigators believe that the head failed to give proper instructions to childcare workers on how to feed individual children to prevent such accidents. They also allege that the former employee forced the boy to eat apple although he apparently did not like the fruit, an action suspected to result in his suffocation.

The police said the two had admitted to the allegations.

The nursery school made it a rule to have children finish eating served food within a specific time. The former nursery teacher is quoted as telling investigators that she fed other food while apple was still in the boy's mouth, as she was fretting because the boy was eating slowly.