A woman on trial for killing her daughter and a neighbor's child in Akita Prefecture told the court Oct. 29 that as a child she was physically abused by her father and bullied at school.

Although Suzuka Hatakeyama, 34, was apparently trying to suggest that her childhood experiences were connected to the two murders, her intention was unclear.

Hatakeyama told the court she was nicknamed "germ" at elementary school and was a victim of bullying.

She has been charged with murdering her 9-year-old daughter, Ayaka, by dropping her into a river from a bridge in the town of Fujisato, Akita Prefecture, on April 9, 2006, and strangling neighbor Goken Yoneyama, 7, at her house the following May 17.

Asked about her relationship with her daughter, Hatakeyama said, "I didn't like touching Ayaka's hands because they were sweaty."