Student Letter Threatening Suicide Prompts Investigation in Japan
TOKYO – On Nov. 6, a Japanese student mailed a letter to Japan’s Ministry of Education claiming he would commit suicide on Saturday, Nov. 11 if the bullying at his school did not stop by Wednesday, Nov. 8.
The anonymous letter writer did not include his name or the name of the school he attends, but ministry officials have ordered school boards across the country to investigate and remain on alert.
Also, officials believe the postmark may provide clues as to where the letter originated.
The envelope that contained the letter addressed to Education Minister Bunmei Ibuki also contained six other letters addressed to other people, including his bullying classmates.
This episode is only the latest in a series of student suicides allegedly caused by bullying in Japan, which has had a marked history of bully-related student suicides.
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