Former director at Kobe care facility admits assault on people with disabilities

Written with extracts translated from NHK

November 19 2020

Content has be altered to withhold the names of the accused

KOBE – At a welfare facility in Kita-ku, Kobe, the first trial of a former facility director accused of assault for hitting the face of a junior high school girl with intellectual disabilities was held at the Kobe District Court, and the former facility director admitted to the content of the indictment.

A 45-year-old former facility manager of Hoaroha, an after-school day service facility in Kita-ku, Kobe, said that in June and August, a third-year junior high school student with intellectual disabilities attended the facility. He has been accused of assault for hitting the face of a girl student with his hand.

At the first trial held at the Kobe District Court on the 19th, the former facility director admitted that he was charged with “no doubt”.

The prosecution stated in the opening statement, “Inappropriate measures have been taken for some time, such as violence against children who do not agree with their intentions. The same applies to victims with severe disabilities such as being unable to speak.”

When asked by the accused, the former facility director said, “I was too angry because the victim threw a water bottle at a sleeping child and it hit me. If I could meet the victim, I want to apologize. ”

At the same facility, a former employee, aged 51, has been acquitted of assault for kicking the same girl student’s leg.