Abuse of People with Disabilities by Wakayama Facility Staff Reached Record High in FY2024

From The Sankei Shimbun

April 7 2026

WAKAYAMA – The number of reports of abuse of persons with disabilities by staff at welfare facilities in Wakayama Prefecture reached 46 in fiscal 2024, the highest since the enforcement of the Act on the Prevention of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities in fiscal 2012, according to a prefectural survey. Of these, 12 cases were officially recognized as abuse.

The survey was conducted under the law, which came into effect in October 2012. The results for fiscal 2024 show that the number of reported cases involving abuse by facility staff rose by 11 from 35 cases in fiscal 2023—previously the highest on record—to 46. The number of confirmed abuse cases increased by eight, from four the previous year to 12. The number of victims surged to 38, nearly ten times higher than the four recorded in fiscal 2023.

Of the 38 victims, 18 were men and 20 were women. By type of disability (overlapping categories allowed), there were 17 cases involving people with physical disabilities, 26 involving intellectual disabilities, three involving mental disabilities, and one categorized as “other.” By type of abuse (also overlapping), physical abuse was the most common with seven cases, followed by psychological abuse (six), neglect (three), and sexual abuse, including indecent acts (two).

By type of facility or service, abuse occurred in two disability support facilities, three continuous employment support services, one group home, two day-care (life care) services, one medical care service, two after-school day services, and one home-visit care service.

The perpetrators were most commonly care staff (12 cases), followed by service managers and vocational instructors (two cases each), and one case each involving a facility manager, a childcare worker, and a home-care worker.

Of the 12 facilities where abuse was confirmed, the prefectural government requested improvement plans from 10 facilities and issued recommendations or orders to the remaining two.

Meanwhile, cases of abuse by guardians declined from the previous year, with 43 reports and 20 confirmed cases. The number of victims stood at 21 (eight men and 13 women). By disability type (overlapping), there were three cases involving physical disabilities, six involving intellectual disabilities, two involving mental disabilities, and 11 involving developmental disabilities. Physical abuse was the most common form, accounting for 17 cases.

The prefectural government stated that, to prevent recurrence of abuse by facility staff, it will continue efforts such as conducting training sessions for facility managers.

Along with the instances of abuse in Wakayama prefecture, it was reported in late March that three municipalities did not meet the statutory employment rate of 2.8% for persons with disabilities under the Act on Employment Promotion of Persons with Disabilities. As a result, they formulated employment plans for hiring persons with disabilities as required by the law. However, despite guidance from the bureau aimed at achieving the target, the situation had not improved by the deadline of the end of December 2025.