On March 26^th, 2021, the MHLW published the “Status of Response to Cases of Abuse against Persons with Disabilities in Local Governments during Fiscal Year 2019”. The survey is conducted annually in line with the Act on Prevention of Abuse against Persons with Disabilities and Support for Carers of Persons with Disabilities (enforced on October 1^st, 2012). The outline of the survey results is as follows.

* The numbers in brackets are from the previous year.

<Abuse against persons with disabilities by caregivers>

• The number of consultations and reports about abuse against persons with disabilities by caregivers increased by 8% from FY 2018 (from 5,331 cases to 5,758 cases). Of this number, local governments judged 1,655 cases to be abuse (an increase of 2.7%, from 1,612 cases to 1,655 cases).
• The ratio of cases judged to be abuse to the total number of consultations and reports decreased (from 30% in 2018 to 29% in 2019).
• Reports of abuse made by police accounted for 34% (1,964 cases), followed by those made by the persons themselves, which accounted for 16% (913 cases), staff of the welfare facility/ workplace (15%, 863 cases), and counselors (15%, 843 cases).
• Physical abuse accounted for 64% of total cases, followed by psychological abuse (30%), economic abuse (21%), abandonment and neglect (15%), and sexual abuse (4%).
• The types of disabilities that the victims had were intellectual (53%), mental (36%), and physical (19%).
• 711 people were protected and separated from the abusers as a countermeasure (43% of the total).
• There have been no incidents of death due to abuse since 2018.

<Abuse against persons with disabilities by workers at welfare facilities>

• The number of consultations and reports about abuse against persons with disabilities by workers at welfare facilities increased by 6% from FY 2018 (from 2,605 cases to 2,761 cases). Of this number, 2,761 were judged to be abuse (a decrease of 8%, from 592 cases to 547 cases).
• The ratio of cases judged to be abuse to the total number of consultations and reports decreased (from 23% in 2018 to 20% in 2019).
• Victims themselves were most likely to report the case (18% of the total), followed by facility workers, owners and managers (14%), and families (13%).
• Physical abuse accounted for 53% of total cases, followed by psychological abuse (40%), economic abuse (10%), and abandonment and neglect (7%).
• The types of disabilities that the victims had were intellectual (79%), physical (21%), and mental (12%).
• The occupations of the abusers were life support staff (42%), other workers (9%), caretakers (8%), and managers (7%).
• 230 cases saw interventions under the authority granted by the Act on the Comprehensive Support for the Daily and Social Life of Persons with Disabilities.
• There were two incidents of death due to abuse (there were also two in 2018).

The status of abuse against persons with disabilities by employers in 2019 was published on August 28^th, 2020. For more information, please visit the following website.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000189859_00005.html