One in Three Sex Crimes Against Disabled Victims Committed by Carers, Japan’s Justice Ministry Report Finds

By Barrier Free Japan

September 13 2025

TOKYO – A recent Justice Ministry study has revealed that support staff are responsible for 33 percent of sexual assaults against people with mental disabilities, the largest share of any group of perpetrators. The report, released in March, analyzed court cases between 2018 and 2022 that ended in convictions.

Among the victims surveyed, 74 percent had intellectual disabilities, including about 25 percent with moderate disabilities, and more than 20 percent each with mild and severe disabilities. Nineteen percent of cases involved people with developmental disabilities, some of whom had multiple conditions.

The most common locations of abuse were schools, workplaces, or welfare facilities (27.8 percent), followed by victims’ homes (18.8 percent). By contrast, non-disabled victims were most often attacked outdoors. The ministry noted that people with disabilities were frequently targeted during daytime hours, when their activities are concentrated.

The report highlighted a serious risk of hidden victimization: only 36.5 percent of victims with intellectual disabilities recognized they were being abused, and more than a third never reported the assaults at all. Experts warned that this left victims under the control of abusers and exposed to repeated harm.

To prevent further abuse, the ministry recommended measures such as installing cameras in facilities, using drive recorders in transport, and reducing one-on-one contact between carers and disabled individuals.