High school student sustained major injury during judo class; Hyogo Prefecture ordered to pay 1.8 million yen
The Kobe Shimbun NEXT
May 29, 2020
https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sougou/202005/0013381489.shtml
A first-year high school student of Inagawa High School in Hyogo Prefecture sustained a severe injury in a judo class in 2013, requiring a month’s stay in hospital. On May 29, The Kobe District Court ordered Hyogo prefecture to pay approximately 1.8 million yen to the victim (22).
According to the decision, the victim was competing in a judo class under the instruction of his PE teacher, with another student who had a judo dan-grade and weighed about 106 kg, considerably heavier than the victim. After a competition with an unnatural stance continued for some time, the victim lost consciousness and collapsed. His spinal cord was damaged.
The district court admitted the PE teacher’s violation of health and safety obligation based on his lack of consideration of their different physique and disregarding the unnatural stance in the competition. Furthermore, the decision indicated that the student was unable to fully attend the first year of high school, missing out on a valuable experience.” The prefecture was ordered to pay 1.8 million yen.
The plaintiff’s lawyer said the victim has recovered but still faces difficulty. His father (58) commented, “I’m glad the school admitted their responsibility.” The Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education stated that it would examine the decision and consider their next step.
