But police have questioned the doctor, who is in her 30s, believing the patient's condition did not meet the criteria stipulated by one court ruling as acceptable for euthanasia to occur, police sources said.

The Yokohama District Court ruled in March 1995 that doctors are allowed to resort to euthanasia only if certain conditions are met. These include if prolonging a patient's life would likely involve unendurable physical pain.

"The doctor made all the decisions on her own," Takashi Sato, director of Haboro Hospital, told reporters. "I guess she had an inner conflict, but she should not have turned (the respirator) off."

The Japan Times Weekly: May 22, 2004
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