FUKUOKA -- A couple accused of letting their 1-month-old daughter become weak and die went on trial at the Fukuoka District Court on Wednesday, pleading not guilty to part of the charges against them.

The couple, who were both aged 19 at the time of the incident, is accused of abandoning their responsibility as guardians, resulting in the death of the baby girl.

In their opening statements at the court, public prosecutors said that the couple's daughter had been made to sleep in a cardboard box that their cat had used as a toilet, highlighting the cruel conditions at the home.

When questioned over the charges against them, the couple said they had not acted intentionally. The husband told the court, "I did everything that I could do," while the wife told the court, "I tried in some way or other to give her milk."

According to the opening statements, the two failed to give their baby daughter, who was born on Oct. 25 last year, enough milk. Prosecutors also said they failed to take her to a doctor for treatment, causing her to die in a weakened state about one month later.

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