Family of dead student subjected to corporal punishment brings action for damage

The family of a 17-year-old student who committed suicide after he was physically punished a year ago by a former teacher filed a lawsuit on Wednesday for more than 165 million yen (about 1.60 million U.S. dollars) in damage against Osaka City, which runs the school he was attending, local media reported.

The bereaved family of the young victim, including his parents now living in eastern Japan, filed the suit in the Tokyo District Court, claiming that his death was the result of a slew of corporal punishment carried out by the former teacher and basketball club advisor at the municipal Sakuranomiya High School in central Osaka City.

Local media cited the submitted petition as saying that the 47- year-old former teacher had regularly imposed corporal punishment since he began serving as captain of the athletic club in September last year. He is also alleged to have slapped the student in the face several times the day before his death on Dec. 23 last year following mistakes he had committed in a practice game.

Therefore, the family says the city's education authority had neglected the matter and failed to take protective measures to prevent the tragedy, even though it had been aware for months of the advisor's excessive assault.

Responding to the family's suit, the chief of the education board issued a brief comment stating that the city would provide compensation in good faith.