After Occurrences of Abuse are Discovered at Sapporo Facility for People with Disabilities, Ward Office Imposes Three-month Suspension on Admitting New Users

From NHK

December 10 2024

SAPPORO – The city of Sapporo has taken administrative action to suspend the admission of new users to a disability support facility in Kiyota Ward for three months after two users were beaten and abused by staff at the facility.

The facility that received the administrative action is the social welfare corporation Hokushoukai, which runs the city-designated disability support facility Sapporo Suginaen in Kiyota Ward, Sapporo.

According to Sapporo City, on July 23rd of this year, a male staff member in his 40s at Sapporo Suginaen punched a male user in his 50s in the face and kicked another user in his 60s in the body.

The male staff member reported the incident to his superiors the next day, and Sapporo City conducted an investigation, which determined that it was abuse.

The male staff member has reportedly resigned from Sapporo Suginaen.

Sapporo City has taken administrative action against the social welfare corporation Hokushoukai to suspend the admission of new users to Sapporo Suginaen for three months, starting from January next year.

The social welfare corporation Hokushoukai commented, “We take this incident very seriously. We will work sincerely to prevent a recurrence.”