Sapporo facility for disabled children to be investigated after instance of abuse

Written with extracts translated from The Hokkaido Shimbun

May 30 2020

SAPPORO – On the 29th, Sapporo City said that a former male employee abused a child with a disability, saying that the Child Welfare Law was violated at “Play School Iro Pencil,” a facility for children with disabilities in Kita Ward, Sapporo City, which provides child development support and day services such as after school. The city government announced that it will carry out administrative sanctions by suspending acceptance of new users for 30 days to 3 months.

The facility is operated by NPO corporation “Iro Pencil” (Director Kotomi Watanabe) .According to the city government , a former male employee abused a child twice in May-July 2019. The male employee retired in August of the same year, but the city said that he was in violation of the obligation to respect persons with disabilities as specified by the Child Welfare Law. The city has not confirmed abuse of other users.