A 14-year-old boy died last month of injuries sustained in a suicide attempt just over a year earlier. He had tried to kill himself after applying unsuccessfully for shelter from his parents, whom he alleged were abusive.
The center the boy sought help from, in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, had the legal authority to take him into care without his parents' consent but chose not to do so despite signs of physical abuse reported by school staff. It insists it acted correctly in the case.
The boy first reported abuse to the center in the fall of 2013. He told officials there on several subsequent occasions that he was afraid of going home because of physical violence by his parents, authorities said. The center took up the case and met with the parents but took no action to place him in care.