Sexually assaulted an underage girl multiple times…30-year-old elementary school teacher, special background of “increasing teacher indecency”.

A man stares at the camera with no sign of offense.

In November 2010, he allegedly kidnapped a girl under the age of 13 living in the prefecture and sexually assaulted her, knowing her to be underage. Mizunuma was an elementary school teacher.

Mizunuma worked at an elementary school in Nagareyama City. The elementary school is located in a quiet residential area, and the parents are highly enthusiastic about education. The arrest of a teacher for an indecent assault seems to have shocked the students.

This is not the first time Mizunuma has been arrested. In January of this year, he was arrested for indecent assault on the same girl and charged with forcible sexual intercourse. This was discovered when a person related to the victim reported the incident, but when the police interviewed the girl, she reported another incident. Mizunuma admitted to the crime, saying, “There is no doubt about it. The police are now investigating the case as if there were more crimes to be committed.

More than 200 people have been punished for the ninth consecutive year.

In response to the incident, the Nagareyama City Board of Education issued the following comment

The Board of Education takes this incident very seriously and is very sorry for the trouble and concern it has caused. We will do our utmost to take care of the child, and we will deal with the teacher in question strictly in cooperation with the prefectural board of education.

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 215 teachers at public elementary, junior high, and high schools and special-needs schools were disciplined or given a warning for indecent behavior or sexual harassment in 2009. This was an increase of 14 over the previous year, and the number exceeded 200 for the ninth consecutive year. The breakdown of punishments was 118 dismissals, 50 suspensions, 21 salary reductions, and 2 admonishments. Sixty-seven of the offenders committed “touching,” followed by “voyeurism/peeping” (47) and “sexual intercourse” (26).

Why are obscenity cases involving teachers on the rise? Former Saitama Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa explains.

Most teachers take their jobs seriously. However, there are some who have warped sexual desires toward children. For them, the educational setting is the perfect place to come into contact with children who are the object of their desire. The victimized child may be traumatized. Parents would not feel safe leaving their children in their care. Teachers who commit indecent acts should be punished severely.

A solid monitoring system is needed to protect children, including their parents.