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Aomori officials investigate bullying in boy’s suicide

A middle school student in Aomori Prefecture committed suicide earlier this month possibly due to bullying
A middle school student in Aomori Prefecture committed suicide earlier this month possibly due to bullying

AOMORI (TR) – Education officials in the town of Tohoku said on Friday they are investigating the possibility a middle school boy committed suicide on August 19 because of bullying.

The father of the first-year student of Kamita Middle School filed a complaint against the school that bullying probably the cause of his son’s suicide, TV Asahi reports (Aug. 26).

The boy’s mother had also reported to school officials that her son was “being harassed” in June, but officials were unable to confirm the facts.

The boy, who left behind a note, was discovered in an unresponsive state by his father in a hut on their property at around 5:30 a.m. on August 19 and confirmed dead after he was rushed to a hospital, the Sankei Shimbun reported.

School officials reported the boy’s suicide at a school-wide meeting on Monday and held a meeting for parental guardians on Wednesday.

The boy’s school is also distributing questionnaires to see if there is bullying.

“It’s not known why he died,” Ryuji Urushido, the superintendent of Tohoku, told the Sankei. “I hope to ascertain the facts.”