A 27-Year-Old Former Childcare Worker Alleged Assault on a Preschooler

He told the preschooler not to talk about it.

“Since the day I heard about this incident (the abuse from Defendant Nagata) from my daughter, I have been crying every day. Every day, I continue to cry. My daughter repeats ‘stop’ in her sleep. How long will this continue?” (C-chan’s mother)

Nagumi Osada, 27, a former nursery school teacher, is accused of sexually assaulting a total of seven children (children A through G in the order in which they were charged) at two nursery schools where she worked, including one where her father was the director, and filming the assaults, which is a violation of the Child Pornography Law.

On October 15, 2024, the 6th trial of Nagata was held at the Tokyo District Court.

On this day, prior to the closing arguments, statements were made by the guardians of the five victims and their representatives. The opening words were spoken tearfully by C-chan’s mother, who was the first to give her statement.

After the presiding judge said, “Please begin,” C’s mother was unable to speak for a while. Although she could not be seen by the impulse, she appeared to be crying.

On December 29, 2023, after returning from the nursery, C-chan told her mother, “I was blindfolded in the nursery’s closet, and Nagumi-sensei did something strange to me. He told me not to say anything about it, but I feel like something bad happened.” This conversation was the trigger that led to the discovery of Defendant Nagata’s crimes.

C-chan’s mother said, “I thought this was serious, so I immediately called the nursery and met with Nagata.” However, Defendant Nagata and her father, who was the director at the time, acted as if C-chan were at fault, saying, “Maybe C-chan misunderstood.”

C-chan’s mother, speaking through sobs, shared her frustration from that moment:

“Nagata was holding his head in his hands, furrowing his brow, and told me, ‘I don’t really remember.’ However, from his demeanor, I was absolutely certain something had happened. I asked him repeatedly to tell the truth, but he didn’t answer.

The next day, we talked with Nagata’s father, who was the director at the time. His father even suggested, ‘Maybe she confused it with a scene from the DVD animation we showed before nap time,’ which was humiliating. Being told that it was somehow our fault still makes me incredibly angry. Furthermore, Nagata strangely seemed to suddenly remember, saying clearly to me, ‘I didn’t call you to the closet,’ and ‘I didn’t blindfold you.’ I was shocked at how different Nagata’s attitude was from the day before.”

Land mines were implanted.

After Defendant Nagata was arrested, C-chan’s mother spoke with anger, saying that nothing was over.

“Will going to prison mean that the crime is paid for? I don’t think so. Even if Nagata is allowed to return to society after supposedly paying for his crime, my family will have to live with deep trauma for the rest of our lives.”

Then, C-chan’s mother tearfully spoke, after which she could not stop sobbing for a while.

“I want to go back to the time when nothing happened. I truly wish I could turn back time, but that is impossible. We will never forgive Nagata. We sincerely hope that Nagata will receive the heaviest punishment possible.”

Next, the representative lawyer for D-chan’s guardians read aloud their statement.

“D-chan would sometimes cry out suddenly in the middle of the night. We never imagined that she was experiencing unimaginable fear at the nursery, and didn’t think it was a serious issue. But looking back now, I believe it was due to the fear she felt when she was victimized. Thinking about the child’s feelings, enduring that fear with her small heart and being unable to express it, I feel so regretful and sorry that I didn’t notice sooner.”

The letter conveyed the parents’ deep concern for their daughter’s future and intense anger toward Defendant Nagata.

“Our worry is not just about the present, but also D-chan’s future. What triggers might come up in the future, and what symptoms might arise? How will this affect her life stages like school, work, relationships, and marriage? We are deeply concerned about what lies ahead for her. We feel as if this incident has planted a landmine in her small body, and as parents, we live with the fear of when it might explode. We fear that this crime could lead to severe mental illness or even make her choose to end her own life. We are prepared to protect D with our lives, no matter what symptoms appear.”

Regarding punishment, they stated that the perpetrator should be severely punished to ensure that he can be properly corrected. They also hope that the court’s ruling will show society just how strongly sexual abuse by a nursery teacher must be condemned.

May affect future relationships

Next, E-chan’s father began his statement in a loud voice, saying, “My daughter was sexually victimized by the defendant. This sexual abuse has cast a dark shadow not only on my daughter but also on our family and the surrounding environment.”

After the incident, he explained that he and his family began to feel stress and anxiety that they had never experienced before in daily life, and that the entire family had been emotionally and physically hurt.

He then became more forceful as he expressed his concerns about E-chan’s future.

He continued, “I am deeply worried about the impact this will have as my daughter grows and learns about sexuality. She may develop PTSD, become unable to date men, struggle with building relationships, fall into depression, and be unable to function in society. She should have been able to live a normal, happy life, but this incident may drastically change her future.”

After the incident, E-chan underwent a test due to concerns about sexually transmitted diseases.

“Amid all the growing anxiety, I feared that my daughter might have contracted an STD, so she had a blood test for STDs. Watching her cry and scream in pain while getting the blood drawn was incredibly painful.”

E-chan’s father’s voice grew louder and louder with anger toward Defendant Nagumi.

The follow-up article, titled “Castration and solitary confinement. The empty apology given by the former nursery teacher who sexually assaulted seven students,” will focus on the “apology” spoken by Defendant Nagata in court.

 

In the second part of the article, “[Castration and Solitary Confinement] Former Child Care Worker Who Sexually Assaulted Seven Students Tells Victims’ Families ‘Empty Apology'”, we will discuss the “words of apology” that Nagata said in court.

Read ” Former Child Care Worker Who Sexually Assaulted Seven Students Sentenced to Solitary Confinement Tells Victims’ Families What She Said in Vain ” (Japanese only).