2,398 people with disabilities abused in Japan in FY19

From The Saga Shimbun

March 27 2021

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) announced on March 26 that there were 2,202 cases of abuse suffered by people with disabilities from family members, welfare facilities and employees of business establishments in fiscal 2019, with 2,398 victims. The number has remained almost unchanged from the previous fiscal year. Two of the victims died. A record 8,519 cases were reported to the local government.

The number includes two cases of abuse by staff and nine cases by family members.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) said that the reason for the increase in the number of reports is that “awareness has grown among facility managers and staff that ‘no one should hide anything,’ and the police are also making thorough reports. In the previous fiscal year, there were 2,204 cases of abuse, involving 2,403 people.

There were 547 cases of abuse by staff members, involving 734 people. Physical abuse, such as violence and restraint, accounted for the highest percentage at 52%, followed by psychological abuse, such as verbal abuse at 40%, and sexual abuse at 13%. Victims with intellectual disabilities accounted for 78%. Life support workers were the most common perpetrators at 42%.

The deceased were a man in his 30s with physical and intellectual disabilities who received heavy visiting care, and a man in his 40s with intellectual disabilities who was admitted to a facility.

There were 1,655 cases of abuse by family members, involving 1,664 people. Physical abuse accounted for the largest percentage at 63%. This was followed by psychological abuse at 29% and economic abuse, such as misappropriation of disability pensions, at 20%. 53% of the victims were mentally disabled.

In addition, there were 535 cases of abuse in the workplace, which were announced in August, with 771 victims.