Staff member at ‘Sagamihara Stabbings’ facility slaps intellectually disabled resident

From Kyodo via Nikkei

September 14 2026

KANAGAWA – Kanagawa Prefecture announced Monday that a male staff member in his 30s at Tsukui Yamayuri En, a facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Sagamihara, abused a male resident in his 50s by slapping him in the face.

The facility was the site of a 2016 attack in which former staff member Satoshi Uematsu, 36, who was sentenced to death, killed 19 residents and injured 26 people, including staff members. Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa said he takes the latest incident seriously as the prefecture works to realize an inclusive society.

According to the prefecture, the abuse occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 21. The resident had accidentally soiled himself and taken a temporary shower before completing his regular bath. He subsequently returned to the changing room twice more and attempted to remove his clothes. The staff member slapped him while trying to stop him.

The staff member reportedly said he “could not control his emotions and ended up hitting him.”

The resident was not injured. Another staff member who witnessed the incident reported it to senior officials at the facility, leading to its discovery. The facility apologized to the resident and his family.

Facility director Kiyomitsu Nagai said at a news conference that “there is meaning behind residents’ behavior, and the issue is how we should support them in response to each individual’s behavior.”

The facility will review footage from cameras installed in shared areas to determine whether similar incidents occurred and will interview other staff members. It plans to compile the findings in a report as soon as possible.