MIYAGI (TR) – An elementary school girl with foreign roots in Sendai City was subjected to relentless xenophobic bullying, including having a nail driven into her school backpack, it was revealed during a city assembly meeting Friday, reports NHK (June 19).
The Sendai Board of Education has officially designated the abuse as a “grave situation,” a legal classification for severe bullying cases that demand immediate administrative intervention.
The disturbing details were brought to light by Assemblyman Yuta Ito during a general question session. Ito stated he had been consulted by the parents of the young girl, who had transferred to the Sendai elementary school from overseas in 2023.
According to Ito, the harassment began shortly after her arrival. Classmates repeatedly hurled verbal abuse at the girl, telling her to “go back to your country.”
The psychological abuse later escalated into physical intimidation. In March of this year, a nail was found stabbed into the girl’s randoseru (traditional leather school backpack). Following the incident, the victim transferred to a different school to escape her tormentors.
During the assembly session, Ito pressed the local government on their strategies to prevent such severe abuse from recurring.
Addressing the chamber, Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kori acknowledged the severity of the school’s failure to protect the child.
“I have positioned bullying prevention as the top priority of this administration,” mayor Kori said. “Careful observation and swift, systematic responses upon detecting the early signs of bullying are especially critical. We must take this case very seriously. Together with the Board of Education, we will enforce thorough preventative measures and early interventions.”
