Former staff member at a facility for the disabled in Hokkaido arrested on suspicion of assault

By Barrier Free Japan with extracts from NHK

February 20 2023

Wakkanai City, HOKKAIDO – A 28-year-old former employee of a support facility for people with disabilities in Wakkanai was arrested on suspicion of assault at the facility for deliberately putting their foot on a resident and causing the resident to fall over. The police are investigating in detail whether the abuse was a regular occurrence.

According to the police investigation, the suspect is suspected of assaulting a woman in her 40s, was a staff member at Wakkanai Hamanasu Gakuen, a support facility for people with disabilities in Wakkanai City, when the suspect deliberately knocked over a resident in her 40s with their foot in June last year.

“Wakkanai Hamanasu Gakuen” is a support facility for persons with disabilities established in 1982.

According to the facility’s website, in addition to nursing care for residents such as bathing, excretion, and eating, they will provide consultation and advice about life, and support for necessary daily life.

Midorigaoka Gakuen, a social welfare corporation in Wakkanai City, operates a total of nine facilities, including a special nursing home for the elderly and a group home for people with dementia.

Last month, information about assault was received from related parties, and the police were investigating further whether abuse has become normalized in the facility.