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Bullying recognized in 14-year-old Hokkaido girl's death

Apr 16 (Japan Times) - A 14-year-old girl found frozen to death in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, in March last year, had faced bullying, a third-party panel set up by the municipal board of education said in a new report

In the report released Friday, the panel said that Saaya Hirose, who was in her second year of junior high school, had suffered six known cases of bullying in the April-June 2019 period, including being repeatedly asked to send a sexual video.

Seven students from her school and elsewhere were involved in the bullying, the report said.

The bullies had also touched her for sexual purposes, called her at midnight, made her pay repeatedly for goods such as confectionaries and continued to make fun of her, the report said.

The Asahikawa city government had initially said that Hirose did not face anything equivalent to bullying. But the panel reported later on March 27 to the bereaved family that Hirose had been bullied.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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