By Barrier Free Japan
August 10 2026
KOBE – Kobe City confirmed three cases of abuse of people with disabilities at psychiatric hospitals in fiscal 2025, with the hospitals required to submit improvement plans, the city said.
The Kobe Shimbun reported on August 8 that the city announced the findings Aug. 6.
All three cases involved acts against patients, and no one was injured, according to the newspaper.
The city required the hospitals involved to submit improvement plans and also checked their subsequent implementation, the report said.
Under a revision to the Mental Health and Welfare Act, people who discover suspected abuse of patients by psychiatric hospital employees have been required to report it to prefectural governments or designated cities since April 2024. Patients who believe they have been abused can also file notifications with authorities, according to Kobe City.
Kobe City confirmed one case of abuse at a psychiatric hospital in fiscal 2024, according to its previously published figures. That case involved one patient, with the abuse classified as both physical and psychological, and the city required the submission of an improvement plan. A nurse was identified as the main occupational category of the perpetrator.
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