http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/389008

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 10:03 EST

NAGASAKI — A 15-year-old girl died early Tuesday after hanging herself in the bathroom of her Nagasaki Prefecture-run high school Sunday afternoon, police said.

The school is still investigating the cause of the girl's suicide but the principal has said the school does not think it was prompted by bullying. The girl had been in a coma after being hospitalized.


and on a vaguely related theme....


http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/388975

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 06:43 EST

MITO — The principal of Satake High School in Ibaraki Prefecture committed suicide on Monday, days after his school was found to be one of many to have dodged curriculum requirements, police said.

The body of Yuichiro Takaku, 58, was discovered by a police officer at around 4 p.m. hanging from a tree in woods about 2 kilometers from his home in the town of Daigo, police said, adding that suicide notes were found nearby. Takaku's mother said he told her he would have to apologize to parents over the curriculum problem on Monday. However, police said the handwritten notes do not mention the curriculum problem.

Not surprising to me

Japan has the highest rate of suicide in the world. So unforunately this stuff happens all the time.

Sadly, Australia is #2.

Last Exile wrote:Japan has the highest rate of suicide in the world. So unforunately this stuff happens all the time.

Sadly, Australia is #2.

Provide a source to back up your claims as I've found different.

Last Exile wrote:Japan has the highest rate of suicide in the world. So unforunately this stuff happens all the time.

Sadly, Australia is #2.

Isn't Latvia number 1? Or is that Lithuania?

Damn Baltic states.... They're all the same, I tell you....

I believe it is Lithuania

[lightbox]http://www.brodyaga.ru/images/Lithuania/Lithuania%202.jpg[/lightbox]

Mappy, where do you get this stuff from...

I wonder?

Yes, the links were rather obvious....

The fun times continue....

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/shukan/368

A smirk upon the death of a classmate

The verbal assault by a teacher was the root cause of the bullying that led to the suicide of a 13-year-old boy in Chikuzen, Fukuoka. It has been two weeks since the boy's death, but the heinous ripple continues.

Ever since the incident, the town of Chikuzen has been enveloped by an abnormal depressing atmosphere. The students, who walk at a faster pace than usual, hold an orange-colored-card in their hands that reads “No interviews accepted, PTA of Miwa Junior High School.” The school has placed a gag order on everyone.

But new facts emerged at a wake that was held on Oct 13, two days after the suicide. “Some kids were looking into the coffin with a smirk on their face as if they were telling the boy ‘Look what you have done to yourself,’” said a neighbor of the deceased boy who attended the wake. “I was both angry and afraid after seeing such conduct. The wake took place at the family’s home. One had to wait in line for several hours as the line reached 300 meters, so the kids could have possibly lost their composure due to the long hours of waiting.”

It has been now revealed that many students told the 13-year-old boy, before his death, to “disappear” or “die.” Some kids at the school, after the death of the boy, reportedly said: “Nothing changes, even though he’s gone,” or “It’s a big relief now that he is gone.”

“Cursing the dead like that, therefore siding with bullies rather than the bullied suggests a mass psychology of control by fear,” said psychiatrist Shizuo Machizawa. “Those who feel no guilt and who led the bullying have the characteristics of a psychopath. They are very power-hungry and anti-social. At their age, that is a very dangerous state to be in.”

Not all students have been callous. Some visited the bereaved family and apologized in tears that their words and actions could have led to the death of the boy. However, one relative of the boy said: “While some of them were brave enough to confess their guilt, there were others who reluctantly offered an apology just for the sake of an apology. It simply made us sad.”

As for the teacher, who reportedly started all the trouble, he was seen by reporters walking on the school grounds with a smile on his face on the day he was reportedly hospitalized due to depression. (Translated by Toshiya Fujii)


October 31, 2006

Man, I am scared to think some of these kids will become future leaders of Japan and have access to nukes ( in view of increasing power of People's Republic of China) in future years to come.

Lack of empathy is an absolute road to evil.

I do glad there are some decent kids apologizing in tears to the parent in sincerity, hope is not at all lost.

At the rate Mappy's posting this stuff , i'm thinking that Japan well on its way to Battle Royale ?

Stuff like that happens in other countries no doubt , but at the rate of almost everyday in 1 newspaper ? Maybe Guinness should have a special category for such records ...

Sounds like those kids that helped cause the suicide deserve a pat on the back. Administered very low and very hard. Their parents should be ashamed of themselves.

Much of this report was anecdotal, so a lot of it can be put down to exaggeration....

Still, I can think of one Japanese village that probably won't miss their children....

You're not thinking about Higurashi are you ? After that , I don't think anyone misses it being non-existant .

Actually, I was referring to the village in the story. But whatever.