Sexual abuse – Barrier Free Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt March 2, 2026 0

Western Japan Disability Nurses have Difficulties but “no regrets” in Reporting “culture” of Abuse [Podcast Episode]

Three nurses, including Ryusuke Asakura, a 50-year-old former staff member at a municipal support center for people with severe disabilities in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging they were retaliated against for reporting abuse of residents. The trio say they alerted authorities in 2019 after their concerns were ignored internally, leading the city to acknowledge multiple cases of abuse, but claim they were subsequently subjected to lengthy home suspensions, dismissal and job transfers by the facility’s operator, prompting their legal action.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 27, 2026 0

Abuse Care Disability Japan Podcast Sexual abuse

Ibaraki Care Worker Who Reported Abuse Warns Legal Battle May Deter Future Whistleblowers [Podcast Episode]

A care worker who reported the sexual abuse of a female resident at a disability group home in Ibaraki Prefecture has warned that the toll of his subsequent court battle could discourage others from coming forward. Yusuke Okanemasa, 47, reported the alleged abuse in 2021, which prefectural authorities later confirmed, but he became embroiled in a dispute with his employer and eventually resigned after a pay cut. Okanemasa said the lawsuit cost him about 1.5 million yen and required “an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy, as well as time,” warning that if such consequences follow abuse reports, “people will think it’s better to keep their mouths shut,” leaving victims unprotected and underscoring the need for stricter official action.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 26, 2026 1

Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan Sexual abuse

Ibaraki Care Worker Who Reported Abuse Warns Legal Battle May Deter Future Whistleblowers

A care worker who reported the sexual abuse of a female resident at a disability group home in Ibaraki Prefecture has warned that the toll of his subsequent court battle could discourage others from coming forward. Yusuke Okanemasa, 47, reported the alleged abuse in 2021, which prefectural authorities later confirmed, but he became embroiled in a dispute with his employer and eventually resigned after a pay cut. Although the Tokyo High Court in July 2025 ruled the pay cut invalid and ordered limited damages, it did not recognize the measure as retaliation for whistleblowing. Okanemasa said the lawsuit cost him about 1.5 million yen and required “an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy, as well as time,” warning that if such consequences follow abuse reports, “people will think it’s better to keep their mouths shut,” leaving victims unprotected and underscoring the need for stricter official action.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 25, 2026 0

Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan Podcast Sexual abuse

Fired After Reporting Abuse, Tokyo Care Worker Awarded 4.8 Million Yen [Podcast Episode]

A former support staff member at a disability workshop in Kodaira, Tokyo, who was dismissed after reporting alleged abuse by colleagues and a senior executive, reached a court-mediated settlement in 2024 with the operating social welfare corporation. The staff member had filed suit at the Tokyo District Court, arguing the dismissal was retaliation for whistleblowing in violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act. Under the settlement, the corporation retracted the dismissal and paid 4.8 million yen. Municipal authorities later recognized abuse by around 10 staff members, and the Tokyo metropolitan government issued administrative guidance to the corporation over excessive welfare payments.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 24, 2026 0

Abuse Care Crime Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan Podcast Sexual abuse

Tokyo Disability Facility Worker Says They Were Fired After Reporting Abuse [Podcast Episode]

A Tokyo care worker who worked as a support staff member at a workshop for people with disabilities said she witnessed repeated physical and verbal abuse of service users by colleagues shortly after starting her job in 2019. The alleged misconduct extended beyond frontline staff to a male executive of the operating social welfare corporation, who she said repeatedly grabbed the groins of male users with intellectual disabilities when they did not comply with instructions, Identified by a pseudonym as Yoshimi Kurita, said they reported the abuse multiple times to the corporation’s executives, but the corporation“turned a blind eye.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 8, 2025 0

Abuse Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan Sexual abuse

Woman with intellectual disability accuses facility director of sexual assault

A woman with a mild intellectual disability who worked at a welfare workshop in Tokyo has accused the facility’s director of sexually assaulting her, including forcing her to strip naked and touching her genitals. The case highlights the difficulty of preventing abuse of people with disabilities, who may struggle to recognize what happened as assault or to be believed when they speak up.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 2, 2025 0

Abuse Children Crime Education Japan Sexual abuse

Japanese Teacher Admits Sharing Child Pornography

Japanese elementary school teacher Fumiya Kosemura pleaded guilty to charges of sharing child pornography via social media, in the first hearing on his case at Nagoya District Court on Wednesday. The charges are “correct, and I’m very sorry,” said Kosemura, 37, a teacher at a public elementary school in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, who has been indicted for voyeurism and indecent assault. According to the indictment, Kosemura filmed secretly the underwear of a 7-year-old girl at a facility in Kanagawa and shared the video data within the group between January and February this year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 13, 2025 0

Abuse Care Disability Japan Sexual abuse

One in Three Sex Crimes Against Disabled Victims Committed by Carers, Japan’s Justice Ministry Report Finds

One in three sexual assaults against people with disabilities were committed by carers or other support staff, a Justice Ministry survey has found. The report, covering cases from 2018 to 2022, said 74 percent of victims had intellectual disabilities, including moderate, severe and mild cases, while 19 percent had developmental disabilities. Only 36.5 percent of victims with intellectual disabilities recognized they were being abused, and more than a third never reported the assaults. The ministry called for measures such as installing cameras in facilities and reducing one-on-one contact between carers and disabled individuals.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 19, 2025 0

Children Education Japan Sexual abuse

Japanese Government to Seek Students’ Opinions for Sexual Abuse Prevention

Japan’s Children and Families Agency will hold an in-person session next month to hear the opinions of junior high and high school students on a planned system for checking whether teachers have sexual crime records. Over the so-called Japanese version of Britain’s Disclosure and Barring Service, the government set up a panel of experts in April to discuss its details, and plans to draw up related ordinances and guidelines later this year and implement them on Dec. 25, 2026. Around 12 students will be selected by lottery from volunteers to participate in the upcoming hearing session at the agency.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 26, 2025 0

Care Crime Disability Japan Podcast Sexual abuse

Former Niigata NPO employee sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman with a disability [Podcast Episode]

On February 19th, the Niigata District Court handed down a sentence of 14 years in prison to a former employee of an organization, who was charged with crimes including sexually assaulting and injuring a woman with a disability while transporting her in Sanjo City. The court ruled that “he repeatedly committed the crime, taking advantage of the fact that the victim could not resist, which is despicable.”