Three Care Workers Referred to Prosecutors Over Fatal Burn Incident at Miyagi Care Facility

From MMT-TV via Yahoo! Japan

October 15 2025

Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Pref – In an incident in 2022 where a woman receiving bathing assistance at a support facility for people with disabilities in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, suffered severe burns over her entire body and later died, police on the 15th referred three facility staff members to prosecutors on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.

According to investigative sources, those referred to prosecutors on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death include one male staff member who was the on-site supervisor at the time, and two female staff members who were providing assistance at the “Hitakami-en” facility for people with disabilities in Kadowaki, Ishinomaki City.

The incident occurred in December 2022. Kana Abe (then 38 years old), a resident at Hitakami-en, was being assisted by the two female staff members while bathing in a lift-equipped bath. After about five minutes in the bath, she suffered burns all over her body, including skin peeling off her thighs. She was taken to the hospital but died three days later.

According to the facility’s accident report, the assisting staff had confirmed that the surface temperature of the water was 40°C before the bath. However, because the water had not been stirred, it is believed that the actual temperature was around 50°C.