The 40-year-old male teacher handed the boy a box-cutter and paper and told him to write an apology in blood. —Japanese boy writes apology in blood (CNN)

Now that’s harsh. Looks like the Reuters reporter did some independent checking of a story that appeared on local news… if not for that line, I’d wonder whether this was one of those “too strange to fact-check” hoaxes that often one finds slipping past editorial filters.

Thanks for the suggestion, Jim.