Nick Allen comments

I taught English as an ALT at elementary schools in Niigata last summer and although I didn’t teach at her school, it still sickens me to hear this. This could’ve easily been one of my students. One of my students or not though, I’m deeply saddened to hear about such a something like this happening where I spent 2 months working and living in. I sure hope this deamon gets a life sentence. I also hope in Japan, I don’t know if I can make any suggestions that the government will listen to. I think it’s great that kids in Japan are independent enough to walk to and from school without their parents at such a young age. I sure enjoyed walking to school with them when I got off the train and I sure enjoyed talking to them as they most certainly enjoyed having an English teacher who can actually carry a conversation in Japanese, which most ALTs can’t do. Sure I could be the adult to walk to school with them at times and as much as I would love to beat the crap out of this guy or anyone who has such senseless intentions like this, I signed a contract to be a teacher, not a security guard. I have been back in Tokyo since then July of last year, so it’s not like I could’ve possibly prevented this myself anyways but I hope more cops are around where kids would walk to and from school from now on so this this kind of thing can be prevented from happening in the future. I think it’s great they learn to be independent at such a young age so I am all for continuing to allow them to walk to and from school without their parents, but their safety is way more important than them being independent at a any age, so yes please have more cops in the areas where kids would walk to and from school.