A 21-year-old female nursery school teacher in the city of Kagoshima was arrested on Saturday for allegedly slashing the neck of a boy at the nursery with a knife-like object, according to police and local media reports.
The attack, which is being treated as attempted murder, is believed to have occurred at around 11:00 a.m. Friday near the entrance of the nursery school when the children were returning to the building after playing outside, NHK said Sunday, quoting the facility¡¯s lawyer.
The suspect, Natsuki Sasayama, was sent to the prosecutors on Sunday. Sasayama reportedly told investigators, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that I hurt him, but I did not intend to kill.¡±
There were no witnesses, and the incident was not captured on security cameras.
The victim, now being treated at a hospital, sustained serious injuries that will take at least a month to heal. Kagoshima Minami Police Station¡¯s Tsutomu Tojigamori said they arrested the suspect early Saturday after questioning her and others.
In a meeting to brief parents on the incident on Sunday afternoon, the chairman of the nursery apologized over the incident and said it would set up a panel consisting of lawyers, doctors and parents to develop measures to prevent a recurrence, according to NHK reports.
The Asahi Shimbun, meanwhile, has reported that there were many cases of children in Sasayama¡¯s class sustaining scratches and cuts.
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