Photo/Illutration A mother joins her hands and prays for her son who committed suicide at his altar in Kumamoto on Oct. 22. (Rina Horikoshi)

KUMAMOTO--An investigatory panel has concluded that the suicide of a junior high school boy here is partly attributable to the abuse he was subjected to by his teacher when he was in elementary school.

The city's third-party panel, which has been investigating the boy's suicide at the request of his family, released its investigation report on Oct. 24. The report said such treatment by the teacher likely led to the student’s depressed state.

In April 2019, shortly after graduating from his elementary school, the junior high school student was found dead as a result of suicide. 

The report noted that his sixth-grade elementary school teacher berated students in a loud voice, beat them about the head and verbally abused them, calling them “stupid” and "idiot” on a daily basis.

Although the report did not confirm that the teacher applied corporal punishment to him, it found that the teacher continued to use inappropriate words and behavior to other students as well. For example, the teacher grabbed a friend of his by the chest so hard that he was afraid to go to school.

The student developed hairless patches and spent much time in the toilet due to stomach problems related to stress.

The report said that “it is highly probable that the inappropriate supervision by the homeroom teacher had a strong influence on the onset of the boy's depressive state.”

The report also said while it’s difficult to determine the direct cause of his death, “his depressive state, which gradually became more severe, is believed to be one of the contributing factors to his suicide.”

The panel said that the school officials had received complaints from several parents about the teacher's inappropriate words and actions but did not adequately supervise him.

"I’d like those involved to accept the report humbly and sincerely and seriously consider how to deal with this going forward," said Akio Kiyota, a psychiatrist and chairman of the panel. 

CRITICAL OF SCHOOL OFFICIALS’ RESPONSE

His mother, 48, has been asking for three and a half years why her son, who was full of energy, had to die.

According to a report compiled based on interviews with 72 people involved, the homeroom teacher had long been accused of applying corporal punishment and spouting verbal abuse.

In 2012, the teacher poked a student’s stomach with his finger at his previous school. He was cautioned by school officials and ordered not to engage in actions such as grabbing students by their necks or their arms.

In 2014, the teacher was transferred to the elementary school where the boy who later committed suicide attended. The teacher became an adviser for a club to which the boy’s older sister belongs.

He told the boy's sister that, “I get irritated when I see your face.” She cried and told her parents, “I don’t want to go to school.”

The teacher is said to have worn his feelings on his sleeve. Students spent days in fear trying not to make him angry when he was in a bad mood.

The panel also investigated the possibility that the suicide could have been prevented.

Parents and teachers had repeatedly complained to school officials about the teacher's poor supervisory methods and behavior. However, the school failed to take corrective measures. The student is believed to have been mentally driven into a corner.

The report said, "If school officials had provided appropriate instructions and corrected the problem, it is possible that the onset of depression could have been prevented. That could have helped prevent the suicide as a result.”

The teacher continues to work at another school.

After receiving the report, the boy’s mother said of the teacher, "If you feel any regrets, please come and apologize to my son's soul.”

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