A Japanese junior high school student with selective mutism suffered severe violence by bullies and passed away because of the violence in 1991.
According to proceedings of a regular meeting of Toyonaka municipal assembly held March 1992, Bunichi Hotta, a member of the assembly, said, "Ms *** ***, who passed away because of bullying, had mental retardation and selective mutism. But her school didn't provide her with proper education. That was a serious problem."
(*** *** is a name of the girl who passed away)
The case seemed to be famous nationwide then. I consulted a local newspaper at that time issued in the area I live (far away from Toyonaka). The case was featured largely. Besides, the case was mentioned in Diet (Japanese Congress). Even now, Wikipedia refers to the case.
About the case in Wikipedia (Japanese)
（new window open）
But few Japanese people seem to know she had selective mutism. As long as my research, some newspapers or books and so on write she had disorders. But almost all of them wrote vaguely about her disorder. For instance, "She had mild emotional disorders."
It's very regrettable the tragedy occurred. She had selective mutism as well as me. In addition, she's the similar age with me if she didn't pass away. I hope such tragedy never happens again.
[Reference]
Sachiko Takeda (2005) Anata ha kodomo no inochi wo mamoremasuka - Ijime hakusho "jisatsu, satsujin, shogai 121 nin no kokoro no sakebi!"-, Tokyo: WAVE Publishers.
Index of SM in Japan
