Fukuoka Prefecture Hospital says sorry for male staff sexually abusing patients, no further action taken

From The Asahi

May 2 2024

OMUTA, Fukuoka Pref. – The president of National Hospital Organization Omuta National Hospital apologized on May 2 after confirming that male employees sexually abused patients who have severe mental and physical disabilities. 

At a news conference, Masayuki Kawasaki apologized.

“I am sorry that these incidents occurred due to a lack of a management system at the hospital,” he said. “From now on, we would like to deepen our staff’s understanding of abuse and prevent its recurrence.” 

The hospital has not taken any administrative action against the five employees who are suspected of abuse. 

But two of the five have resigned, while the remaining three continue to work without having patient contact, the hospital said.

According to the hospital, the abuse allegations came to light in December 2023 when a hospitalized patient complained that a male staff touched the person’s lower body.

Afterward, the hospital conducted interviews and found that five male employees were suspected of abusing 11 male and female hospitalized patients.

The victims all have severe disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy, an intractable disease that causes gradual muscle weakness.

In accordance with the law to prevent abuse against persons with disabilities, the hospital reported the suspected abuse cases to the municipal governments associated with each patient.

These municipal governments have certified sexual abuse committed on six patients while abuse was not confirmed of one patient. Investigations are under way in the remaining four cases. 

The hospital said the three of the five employees are nursing care workers and two are nurses.

The employees abused patients by stimulating their pubic areas while they were sleeping or being assisted in the bath, and touching female patients’ breasts.

Kawasaki said while the hospital is still interviewing these employees, “We have not received a clear answer as to why they did it.”

The hospital has set up an investigatory committee consisting of outside experts and said it held briefings for the victims’ family members and apologized to them. 

National Hospital Organization Omuta National Hospital is a core regional hospital with about 400 beds, providing specialized medical care for intractable diseases among other care.