A case : Corporal punishment by a female teacher

• The teacher was not so angry with the student, but only scolded him verbally. Then she hit him slightly
  with an open hand on his head several times and it was not so hard.
• At the time of the happening. there were approximately 400 students on the school grounds. However
  no one was aware of the conflict or the happening occurring. For that, it could be taken that the punishment
  of the student was not so severe.
• If anyone uses such a force to another person, it might be assalt, but she was his teacher and
  the student used vulgar language to her, and made fun of her.
• Generally speaking, scolding students orally is the best method, but sometimes disciplining the students
  physically is a kind of kinship between teachers and students, and also such punishment is sometimes useful and
  effective in education. This also makes students more aware of their behavior and encourages them to
  display better behaviour.
• As for disciplinary measures, we must consider the age, sex, the seriousness of the offence, maturity of the bodies
  and mentality of the students and then we must judge each case legal or illegal.
• Finally we will decide that it was within the realm of legal punishment. With regard to his death, there was no
  causal relation between the death and the punishment. It was found that he died of rubella.
  Reversed and affirmed. Not guilty.
  
  This case was judged by the Mito District Court on January 16, 1980 as a criminal assault. The teacher was fined
  30,000 yen. (approx. U.S.$280) The reason was that "She was angry and capriciously slapped the student with
  her hand and hit him severely on the head with her fist. The degree of the punishment was more than required
  for 'educational purposes', so it was illegal. However the death of the student was not related to the punishment.

• 400 名前前後の生徒と十数名の教師の面前で起こった体罰事件であるが、大多数の者は、それに気づがず、又、その後、話題になった形跡もない。
  
  
• 生徒はおとなしく叱られていたし、教師も感情を高ぶらせていなかった。言葉で注意しながら、生徒の前額付近を平手で１回、押すように叩いたほか、右手を軽く握り、コツコツと数回たたいた。それ故に「強く殴打した」とすることには疑問がある。
  
  
• 生徒ではなく、他人になされたものであれば暴行罪が成立する。
  
  
• 懲戒の方法としては、口頭による説諭、叱責が最善ではあるが、しかし、生徒を励げましたり又、注意するさい、肩や背中を軽くたたく程度のスキンシップは、注意換起行為、覚醒行為として機能し、教育上効果がある。
  
  
• 「有形力の行使を一切、許さない」とすることは、学校教育法の予想するところではない。生徒の年令、性別、非違行為の程度、心身の発達に応ずるなど各事例ごとに判断する他ない。
  
  
• 本件の行為には、多少の疑問は残るが、総合的に判断すると教師の懲戒権の範囲内の行為と考える。
  
  
• 生徒は当時、風疹にかかっていた。死亡と体罰との間には因果関係はない。
  
  
  
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