A teenage boy confined in a Juvenile Classification Home in Akishima in western Tokyo committed suicide in his room.
According to the facility, a guard was making rounds when he found the minor with his pajama sleeves wrapped like a noose around his neck and hanging from the washbasin at around 4:15 a.m. on Monday, Sankei Shimbun reported. He was taken to hospital and died at around 6:25 a.m., police said.
The boy was the sole occupant of the room, officials said.
Hideoki Okabe, deputy director of the facility, said, "This is very unfortunate. We will work hard to strengthen our patrol measures and better understand the feelings of juvenile offenders in our custody.”
© Japan Today
9 Comments
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Hokkaidoboy
This makes me sad. Suicide is never the option. Solutions are found everywhere, even more at his age.
Chip Star
Tragic. Are the rooms not “suicide-proof”?
starpunk
Suicide is no answer. He still so much time to turn his life around.
Michael Craig
What is a "Juvenile Classification Home"? Is that like the Japanese version of juvie?
plasticmonkey
Very sad.
TrevorPeace
This is tragic. But how do you hang from a wash basin? I just can't picture it.
Kobe White Bar Owner
I worked in one of these places in Scotland for homeless teenagers. Found one young male hung on a routine check, it will never leave me. Some abuse get internalized and damages the youths self image and leads to .... this, RIP. Parenting is by far your most important “job” parent! Both male and female!
Strangerland
It's not the same as juvie. In Japanese, it's the 少年鑑別所 (しょうねんかんべつじょ shounen kanbetsujo). I think in English we'd say a "youth processing center" or something like that, although the above may be the official translation.
Youth are sent here after family court, where they are evaluated and 'classified' by various professionals. Then a determination is made about what to do with them.
Lucky Day
Sad I taught English in a similar place, nice kids, easy to teach, smart, and friendly. The guards were always bullying them, they especially like to walk down the aisle and rap them in the top of the head with their knockle's during class. I could never understand why. Guess it's I'm the boss thing/ that place should be investigated for possible child abuse