‘I don’t want them to make happy memories’…Elementary school and female teacher who used bleach in school lunch curries “astonished behavior immediately after the crime”

He said, “I didn’t want them to make happy memories without me. If I got an upset stomach, I would not be able to go on the school trip in perfect condition.

The prosecution pointed out that the defendant, a teacher, committed the crime for this reason.

On March 10, the Saitama District Court held the first trial of Ayana Hanzawa, 25, who is accused of obstructing business by force. Hanzawa is a former teacher at an elementary school in Fujimi, Saitama Prefecture. Last September, she allegedly put bleach in a curry dish served at the school’s lunch program.

Hanzawa admitted to the indictment, saying, “There is no doubt about it. The defense argued that he was ‘stressed and fatigued due to his heavy workload. The bleach just happened to be in his backpack, and he asked for a suspended sentence. The prosecution, on the other hand, said, “He was selfish and self-centered. There is no room for leniency,’ and they are seeking a two-year sentence.”

“FRIDAY Digital” reported on the case in detail in an article distributed on September 19, 202. We would like to recount the motive and background behind Hanzawa’s crime (some corrections have been made).

As soon as the lid was opened, there was a foul odor that stung the nose.

“Bubbles… bubbling and smelly.”

It all started when a child in charge of serving food pointed this out. As soon as he opened the lid, a strange smell hit his nose. The homeroom teacher, who had been pointed out by the child, reported the incident to the police, and the crime was discovered.

On September 16 of last year, the Saitama Prefectural Police Iruma Police Station arrested Hanzawa, an elementary school teacher in Fujimi City, Saitama Prefecture, on suspicion of obstruction of business. According to the police, around noon on the 15th, Hanzawa allegedly mixed chlorine bleach into a can of curry for school lunch (30 cm in diameter and 30 cm deep, enough for 23 students in one class) placed in the corridor on the third floor of the school building. 600 ml container of the alleged bleach was found empty on a shelf on the third floor. The Fujimi City Food Service Center is investigating the case.

When the Fujimi City Food Service Center took back all the cans of curry from the elementary school, they found no abnormalities except for the one in question. The smell of chlorine was unbearably strong. Fortunately, no children ate the curry. The elementary school was in an uproar for a while, confirming the safety of all the children.

The unusual incident occurred in a class that Hanzawa had been in charge of for two years until last March. Hanzawa has been working at the school since April 2020. He had been honestly responding to police questioning.

He bought the bleach at a pharmacy and brought it to school in his backpack. As for the motive for the crime, he stated. ‘I was frustrated because I was removed from the class I was in charge of. I was very dissatisfied with the personnel.’

The school was generally well received by the parents. He was very enthusiastic and always smiling. He was also known as a friendly teacher. On the other hand, there were some who said, ‘He was very prejudiced and biased in his thinking.’

Changes in organizations are common. At a press conference, the superintendent of the city’s board of education made the following comment.

I can’t believe it. I heard that (defendant Hanzawa) wanted to take the same class he was in charge of for the next school year. However, it is common for teachers to change classes and homeroom teachers every year. I didn’t switch them because of a problem.”

It is clearly wrong to point the finger at the children in the form of bleach contamination just because they were dissatisfied with the personnel. Hanzawa’s words and actions immediately after the crime are also completely incomprehensible.

After the incident was discovered, the elementary school gathered all the teachers to discuss how to handle the situation. However, only Hanzawa’s whereabouts were unknown. When we contacted him via cell phone and SNS, he was found hiding inside the school.

When the principal asked Hanzawa about the situation, he quickly admitted, “I put bleach in it. The police arrived at the school and asked Hanzawa to voluntarily accompany the defendant, leading to his arrest.

If many children had eaten the curry laced with the toxic substance, it would have been a disaster. It is fortunate that no one was killed in Hanzawa’s single-minded crime. The verdict is scheduled to be handed down on March 27.