I couldn't protect my boy February 1st 11:32

In April 2022, a 5-year-old boy from a municipal nursery school in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima went missing, and was later found dead by drowning in a nearby river.

The report, which was verified by experts and published, pointed out inadequate facility inspections and systemic deficiencies.

Why did this tragic accident occur?

How should I protect my children?

I was troubled and explored while interviewing.

(Hiroshima Broadcasting Station reporter Ryota Noboru)

unhealed bereaved family

About eight months after the accident, the boy's parents issued a statement.

"Eight months after my son's death, my family still feels bad. He was a developmentally disabled child who could hardly understand the meaning of words. (This does not apply to all developmentally disabled children. There is a difference.) Even so, my son is able to say "Bye-bye," "Dad," and "Mother." I was looking forward to it, but this happened.It's really hard and sad.My son had a wonderful smile and was loved by everyone.He was really cute.I want to see him.I want to hug him.River It was hard, it was painful. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. All of our family will love you forever."

When I read this sentence for the first time, I once again felt the sadness of the two and the depth of their love for the boy.

On the one hand, I learned that the boy was a kindergartner who should be protected with the utmost care.

I was playing at the nursery school, but...

Saturday, April 16, 2022.

The boy who arrived at the kindergarten after 9:00 am was playing with other children aged 3 and over in the garden of the nursery school after 10:00 under the supervision of two nursery teachers.

Around 11:20 am, I saw one of the nursery teachers playing with a minicar in the washroom, but 10 minutes later, around 11:30, the boy was gone. I noticed.

He searched in and around the nursery school but could not find him and contacted his mother.

After confirming that he had not returned home, he called the police at around 12:29 p.m.

After that, the police expanded the range and searched, but at 2:34 pm, the nursery teacher found the boy lying down on the bank of the Ota River, about 155m away from the nursery school.

The boy was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead.

He drowned and died.

At this time, I was in charge of incidents and accidents.

When I interviewed the police, they found that the boy was walking alone on a security camera between the nursery school and the riverbank, and on the drive recorder of a car that was running on the road by the river. was "extremely low".

walking the same road

155m is quite a distance for a young child.

What did the boy think when he left the nursery school?

why did he go to the river

With a simple question in mind, two days later, I walked along the path that the boy was believed to have taken.

After leaving the nursery school, go on a one-lane city road in a residential area.

There are no sidewalks, but there is not much traffic.

However, there is a bank in front of the Ota River, and you cannot reach the riverbank without climbing steep stairs.

In addition, there is a busy city road on the bank, but there is no pedestrian crossing nearby.

Even as an adult, there are many places where I feel unsafe.

how did you get there

More than that, many adults should have witnessed the boy, but no one called out to him.

I feel sad.

Issues that surfaced

In May of last year, after the accident, an investigation group consisting of 10 people, including representatives of daycare and kindergarten organizations, lawyers, and university professors, was set up to analyze the causes of the accident and consider measures to prevent recurrence.

The verification subcommittee held a total of seven committee meetings for deliberations, and compiled a report in December last year.

In this, it was pointed out that there were many issues and problems in the facilities and systems of the nursery school.

The main contents were that there were multiple places where it was possible to go outside, that the number of nursery teachers was not appropriate, and that the 110 call was late.

Parents raising children with developmental disabilities

It can be said that this accident was caused by a combination of many problems.

A boy who had a developmental disability and had a nursing notebook was not protected.

Is there anything we can do to prevent this tragic accident from happening again?

With that in mind, I wondered if I could interview parents who raise children with developmental disabilities, just like boys.

This is because I thought that if I listened to the worries and anxieties unique to parents who have children who tend to behave in unpredictable ways, I might be able to get hints to prevent accidents.

Mirai Watanabe, who lives in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, is raising three daughters.

Of these, her 6-year-old eldest daughter, Shinyo, and 4-year-old second daughter, Yozo, have autism.

Ms. Watanabe had an event in her parenting that made her feel uneasy.

Two years ago, when her third daughter, Harukazu, was just born, she was taking a nap at her house.

Watanabe-san:

"Yokazu was sleeping and Yozou was dozing off, so I said, 'Let's sleep for a while,' and my husband and I both slept."

When I woke up about five minutes later, I noticed that Yomo, who was 3 years old at the time, was nowhere to be seen.

Mr. Watanabe:

"My husband suddenly woke up and said, 'I can hear the noise outside.' When I looked, the door was open. Yozou was gone."

Mr. Watanabe rushed out of his house to look for Mr. Yozo.

I found Mr. Yobo being protected by a woman on the other side of the road near his house.

Ms. Watanabe:

"My mind went blank. I never thought that my child would leave, so I was very surprised.

" First of all, let them know that there is such a child, and if they think that they are alone or that something is wrong, they will talk to them, protect them, and take care of them. I would be very grateful if you could call me."

Information sharing between parents and kindergarten

What should be done to alleviate the parents' anxiety that has surfaced and protect the children?

Professor Atsushi Nanakida of Hiroshima University Graduate School, who specializes in childcare and is also the director of a kindergarten, points out the following.

Professor Nanakida:

"It becomes necessary to understand children with various characteristics. Parents understand what their children are not shown at the kindergarten, and there are things that parents do not understand about the kindergarten. Therefore, it is necessary to exchange information and share information with each other.”

He also points out the importance of regional safety nets.

Professor Nanakida: I believe

that various factors, to a greater or lesser extent, contributed to the accident. I was over there.”

the interview never ends

January 2023 after the new year.

Based on the report, Hiroshima City set out to prevent a recurrence by formulating policies such as reviewing its own standards for nursery teacher placement and introducing wireless communication systems on a trial basis at some nursery schools.

However, my interview is not over yet.

Because I have regrets.

It is that the boy's parents have not been interviewed directly.

Even after interviewing children of the same generation and their guardians, there are still many things that only the person concerned can understand.

We will continue to interview.

Hiroshima Broadcasting Station Reporter

Ryota Noboru Joined the station

in 2020

After working in police and judicial affairs, currently in charge of Hiroshima municipal administration