A school teacher in his 40s physically assaulted a 12-year-old junior high school student by slapping and headbutting him at the school in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japanese media reported Wednesday.

The student's mother has notified police, Fuji TV reported, though no action has yet been taken and the teacher remains at the school.

According to reports, the abuse occurred at Tsuda junior high school at around 4 p.m. on Dec 10, when the teacher reprimanded his students for misbehaving at school. The mother of the boy in question said the teacher took her son into a restroom, sharply pinching his cheek. Then he slapped the boy's face 20 times and headbutted him, threatening to kill him.

Before he let the boy go home, the teacher called the mother and said he had hit the boy a few times to discipline him. The woman said she thought her son might have misbehaved and that one or two slaps might not have been too bad. However, she said she was shocked when she saw her son. She said his face was swollen and he suffered headaches and neck pain. He has been told by doctors to rest at home for two weeks. His mother said he has also suffered psychological trauma.

The mother said she took photos of her son's face to to show police.

The next day, the teacher and the school principal visited the boy's parents to apologize and the mother recorded the conversation. The boy's father also asked the teacher if he had physically hit other students before and he said yes.

Police and the local education board said they are investigating the incident.

© Japan Today