Girl who slashed classmate had been bullied over father's nationality

Girl who slashed classmate had been bullied over father's nationality

ODAWARA, Kanagawa -- A 12-year-old girl who slashed a classmate, slightly injuring the victim, had been bullied over her father's nationality, local education officials have said.

"Before the class, the girl was subjected to similar bullying, and got into an argument with her victim over seating, which appears to have triggered the incident," an official with the Odawara Municipal Board of Education said. Board officials added that the girl had been bullied by her classmates since October last year.

The first-year student at an Odawara municipal junior high school, slashed a 13-year-old classmate in the music classroom with a knife at around 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 26, shortly before class began, the municipal board of education said. The victim suffered minor injuries to her left middle finger.

Local police have reported the girl who slashed the classmate to a local child guidance center on suspicion of inflicting bodily injury.

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Commentary:

Slashing someone is going too far of course. It is a crime, but prejudice and bullying too is wrong. I hope the school will address this. Children of international marriages shouldn`t
be subjected to this anywhere. Japan needs to work harder at promoting multiculturalism,
as the country is changing whether some of the people like it or not.


Japan is quietly changing and the government can do more - use TV commercials to promote
tolerance, newspaper ads, in speeches, and by government action - new laws.

Japan still, is one of the few countries in the world without a law banning racism.
You can still be legally prevented from entering a business based on your race.