Photo/Illutration The Futaba nursery school in Nakama, Fukuoka Prefecture, on July 30 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Child abuse was routine at a nursery school in Nakama, Fukuoka Prefecture, where a 5-year-old boy died of heatstroke after being trapped alone in a locked bus in July, local government officials said.

The prefectural and municipal governments, citing a special audit of the Futaba nursery school, said Oct. 21 that employees there have often punched the heads of children under their care or shouted verbal abuse, such as “I hate you” or “stupid,” since 2019.

In one case, a child’s entire body was wrapped tightly in a bath towel and left inside a restroom for a prolonged period, they said.

The governments ordered the company running the nursery to improve its operations.

The prefecture and municipality conducted an earlier audit of the nursery school following the death of the boy who had been left in the bus for nine hours. Questionnaires were handed to the children’s parents and other guardians.

After some of the respondents pointed out inappropriate behavior toward the children at the nursery, the prefectural and municipal governments conducted another special audit from September.

They interviewed 31 people, including current employees, former staff members and guardians.

The government officials said they found that one employee had asked a colleague not to mention the abuse at the nursery.

“The nursery school failed to prevent its employees from exerting a harmful influence on the children’s minds and bodies,” the prefectural government concluded.

It ordered the operating company to submit a report about the causes of the abuse and efforts to prevent a recurrence by Nov. 22.

An attorney for the nursery school said on Oct. 21 that it plans to comply with the orders and improve operations.

But the attorney also said, without elaborating, “We are not fully convinced because there are so many questions unanswered.”

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