Chiba teachers arrested for sexual abuse of minors

Police in Chiba prefecture have arrested two male teachers on separate indecent assault charges involving under‑age students. On June 17, 32‑year‑old Matsumoto Takahiro, a teacher at a city‑run middle school, was detained for allegedly touching a girl under 16 inside his car. Investigators cited a drive‑recording video that helped identify him. Matsumoto denies remembering the incident.

A second case involves 33‑year‑old Murakami Yuta, an elementary‑school teacher from Funabashi. He was re‑arrested after prosecutors linked video footage from a school‑issued tablet, saved on his smartphone, showing him touching a boy’s lower body in a school restroom. Murakami admitted the acts, claiming he was trying to assist the child with urination. Both incidents have prompted condemnation from local education authorities and heightened public concern over teacher misconduct.

These arrests underscore ongoing scrutiny of child protection measures within Japan’s school system.