Extract from The Asahi Shimbun
August 25 2026
SAITAMA – The Saitama Prefectural Government has announced that, in fiscal 2025, it received a total of 284 reports and notifications concerning abuse of people with disabilities by staff at psychiatric hospitals in the prefecture, an increase of nine from the previous fiscal year. Of these, nine cases, two more than the previous year, were officially determined to constitute abuse.
According to the announcement on the 21st, six of the nine cases involved physical abuse, three involved psychological abuse, and one involved neglect or abandonment (with some cases falling into more than one category).
The cases classified as physical abuse included staff hitting patients with their hands or objects. Some patients sustained injuries, although they were reportedly minor. In one case, a staff member punched a patient while attempting to restrain the patient, who was behaving violently. Psychological abuse included verbal abuse, forcing patients to prostrate themselves in apology, and unjustifiably taking away their belongings.
The publication of these statistics began nationwide in fiscal 2024, following amendments to the Mental Health and Welfare Act. This is the second time Saitama Prefecture has published such statistics.
The prefectural government has established telephone hotlines for reporting abuse. The Disease Control Division of the Prefectural Department of Health and Medical Care (048-830-3565) accepts reports of abuse at psychiatric hospitals from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekdays. The Prefectural Abuse Reporting Hotline (#7171) accepts reports of abuse more broadly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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