Fears for Japan schoolchildren’s safety after horror mass stabbing by recluse alleged attacker Ryuichi Iwasaki

Police raided the house of the 51-year-old suspect, who neighbours say kept very much to himself and had few dealings with outsiders

Now schools across Japan are being urged to ramp up their security

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A local resident prays to mourn victims of Tuesday’s mass stabbing in Kawasaki, Japan. Photo: Reuters

Kyodo,Agence France-PresseandJulian Ryall

Published: 10:36am, 29 May 2019Updated: 11:01pm, 29 May 2019

A deadly knife attack on a group of mostly schoolgirls near Tokyo this week raised concerns Wednesday over the safety of schoolchildren in Japan, a country known for its low crime rate and where children usually walk to school on their own or in groups.

Officials say the knife-brandishing man ran while slashing a group of schoolgirls and their parents walking to or waiting at a bus stop in Kawasaki on Tuesday, killing an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man before fatally slashing himself in the neck. At least 17 people, mostly children at a Catholic school, were injured.

“We must do whatever it takes to protect children’s safety,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, urging security officials to increase safety measures to protect commuting schoolchildren. “I feel extreme regret about the extremely harrowing attack that affected many young children.”

Abe told police and education officials on Wednesday to reinforce safety measures and patrols to protect schoolchildren across the country. He also asked for more neighbourhood watch groups by volunteers in the community, while urging schools and authorities to share information about suspicious people.

Tetsuro Saito, head of Caritas Gakuen School group, Teiko Naito, head of Caritas Gakuen Elementary School, and assistant principal Satoru Shitori, speak to the press after the stabbing. Photo: Reuters