Tuesday marks one year since Japanese school bus attack in Suzhou, China

NHK

5 days ago

Tuesday marks one year since a fatal knife attack on a school bus carrying Japanese children in Suzhou, eastern China. Local Japanese communities are still concerned about their children's safety, as details on incident's background remain undisclosed.
On June 24 last year, an unemployed man in his 50s attacked the bus at a bus stop in the city, Jiangsu Province. A female Chinese bus attendant was killed and a Japanese mother and her child were injured.
A local court handed down the death sentence to the man after he was convicted for homicide. Chinese authorities informed the Japanese embassy in Beijing that the man had been executed by April 16 this year.
Following the incident, the school and local authorities began dispatching security personnel to school buses and bus stops to secure the safety of children on their way to and from school. They go on alert when the children get on and off their buses.
The man's trial was held amid speculation that he may have intended to target Japanese nationals. But as for a motive, the court merely explained that he had become tired of living because of debts. The man also did not state his case, depriving observers of any detailed background to the case.
A father in his 50s said he is careful not to take his eyes off his child, who started attending the Japanese school this year. He noted that everyone in his community seems to be on alert because they believe it is up to them to maintain their own safety.