When the grads are up, the guard is down.

High school graduation is a really special time in one’s life. I only vaguely remember mine… I think someone played the bagpipes at it. But there was that one episode of Beverly Hills 90210 where the entire student body rallied together to ensure Donna Martin could attend her graduation, and it stands as a testament to just how much this ceremony means to both teens and middle-aged actors portraying teens.

So, I can only imagine the whirlwind of emotions that happens when you go through the sheer happiness of achieving this milestone, only to become the victim of a crime moments after. That’s what dozens of students of Utsunomiya Hakuyo High School in Tochigi Prefecture had to endure on the day of their graduation.

The incident occurred on 2 March, when the third-year students and their families were inside the school gymnasium for the graduation ceremony. A person or persons had entered all seven of the third-year classrooms on the first floor of the school where the graduating class left their belongings, sought out bags near the entrances that were easy to open, and removed the cash from their wallets.

▼ News report of the thefts with a CGI re-enactment where the thief and victims look exactly alike

After the ceremony, it didn’t take long for the graduates to notice they had been robbed, and a commotion ensued. Eventually, it was determined that over 50 people had their wallets stolen from, but the total amount of cash was not disclosed.

One of the graduates described the feeling as, “A different kind of sadness [than the sadness of leaving the school]. Actually, it’s more like anger.” The school also apologized and said they would take measures to prevent this from happening in the future. At the time of the thefts, teachers were on guard at the school entrances, but no one was watching the unlocked rooms in that corridor.

While all readers of the news were in agreement that this was an especially heinous crime, some argued that it was time for Japanese schools to begin introducing stricter security measures.

“School thefts are common. Students should be given their own lockers to keep their stuff safe.”
“Some people probably brought more cash than usual that day too, and the thief probably knew that.”
“Those students must be really upset that someone would do that on their graduation day.”
“They probably had plans to go out after and enjoy their last day with their friends using that money. I hope whoever did it gets caught soon.”
“In my experience, it’s usually someone who gets addicted to the rush of stealing.”
“I think the days of the honor system in Japan are over. We need to install cameras.”
“When I was in the first year of my high school, I had my wallet stolen. I was shocked because I was so happy to have been accepted by that school.”
“This had to have been an inside job. They knew just when and where to go and didn’t arouse any suspicion walking around the school.”
“Of course, the thief is the one to blame here, but I would always keep my money with me at all times.”

This type of theft that preys on events is not uncommon around the world. There have been cases of sports stars and musicians having had their tour schedules exploited by burglars to know when to strike. In Japan, there’s even a term for it used in some circles called “hare no hi goto,” which literally translates to “sunny day theft” or more figuratively “special day thefts.”

However, since a high school graduation isn’t nearly as publicized as the Lakers’ regular season, it’s likely that this crime was committed by someone with inside information. Hopefully, this will make the police’s job easier, and after justice is served, these kids can have fond memories of their high school graduation like I do of Donna Martin’s.

Source: TBS News Dig, SECOM, Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
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