Abe orders safety checks in all child abuse reports

I sincerely hope that something good and concrete will come out from all the meetings, discussions, seminars, and posters that will follow. With Japan's declining birthrate and increasing child abuse cases, the futures looks very dark for this country unless something is done soon.

Talk is cheap Abe. We'll see if anything is actually improved here.

And always reacting only AFTER an incident happens...................

Yubaru

"Publicly start charging negligent "employees", put them in jail, fire them, and let everyone know in the process that this will NOT be tolerated anymore, and changes will occur.."

Yup. This should be at the very least a first step and an absolutely necessary one. Where is the accountability?

@Ah_so - OK. We'll cancel plans to increase spending on child welfare then!

Abe has been in office for the better part of a decade. His first platform speech was based around increasing child welfare systems and increasing childcare facilities. That was before he was elected. He then increased sales tax by 3% stating the taxes would be used for child welfare and childcare. In 2015 he declared he would address child welfare and childcare in 2018. In 2018 he postponed addressing these issues until 2020 after a further 2% sales tax increase. Are you seeing a pattern of lies from the lip-service king?

How about using this magical new thing called the internet to share information across all child welfare offices nationwide? I know it's asking a lot from a country that barely embraces wifi, but it's more effective than fax machines.

the ministerial meeting adopted Friday a new rule banning the disclosure of informants and the showing of related documents to suspected perpetrators in abuse cases.

this shouldn’t just NOW be happening, any information like that note should never be shown to parents to begin with, ESPECIALLY when the victim stated in that cry for help that it was her FATHER doing horrible things to her. Anyone in their right mind would know not to show the cry for help to the predator whether you knew it or not. so disappointing.

What about the safety of children not suspected of having been abused? Does it mean that they are immune to being abused? Political damage control at its finest.

In March that year, the girl told a child welfare center official at her school that her father had actually forced her to write the letter, but no school officials were present on the occasion.

Where is the welfare center official who was told she was forced to confessed the ignited?

Let’s interview the person and get an explanation for the inaction.

Are you sleeping well at night?

Anyway, I think Abe has his heart in the right place on this issue, and I thank him for his actions.

Mission impossible, simple as that, because what is child abuse anyway.

"I would like (ministers) to make all-out efforts to eradicate child abuse with strong determination to take every possible measure, giving top priority to protecting the lives of children," Abe said at the meeting.

Stupid or shrewd ? Stupid because there are no ways to eradicate child abuse, shrewd because Abe "would like (ministers) to make all-out efforts, not himself.

Abe hasn't done a thing other than make a statement and urge those in charge to check up on the children. He is responding only to criticism and the proof that anything is being done when those who are, or have been found negligent are brought up on charges.

Far too many so-called "civil-servants" (koumuin") pass the buck. It isnt just these children either, there have been far too many preventable crimes that have occurred because these koumuin, from all walks, police, municipal employees, teachers, politicians, bureaucrats, never face justice.

Publicly start charging negligent "employees", put them in jail, fire them, and let everyone know in the process that this will NOT be tolerated anymore, and changes will occur.....then I woke up!

I am sorry prime minister Abe, surely , u know many cases like this current one. Just may I know, Why no one takes any action before someone dies ???. it is too getting too common in Japan.

Government not just in Japan but all over the world should take child neglect and abuse seriously.

Unfortunately, to me this feels more like a PR stunt than a meaningful effort to truly help these children in these abusive situations.

"I would like (ministers) to make all-out efforts to eradicate child abuse with strong determination to take every possible measure, giving top priority to protecting the lives of children," 

Yup, and here's how he'll do it. He'll ask the child welfare centres to do better, and the child welfare centres will ask him how, and they'll both say it's up to the other. Schools will also be asked to do more, and will ask local board of Eds how they should do that, with the BOEs responding that it is up to the schools how to implement it. In short, since what social welfare is able to and should do was already changed not long ago but nothing has changed as a result, nothing will change here either except for politicians to bring up the issue to try and score political points, as Abe is doing.

"If we had learned of the letter, we might have responded to the matter with the recognition that the father was the person capable of doing such a thing."

Says the school. And how would they have "responded"? They would have sent her to child welfare services, who would have, as they always do, send the kid home either the very same day and wait for a body, or a few days later and say, "How could we have known?" Happens every day here.

I am glad that Abe san has done something, lets not dwell on the point its to little to late, he's moving forward, and instructing ministers that it needs to be sorted. Good!, once it get going there needs to be clarity, consistency and stricken rules to be instigated, the police, children welfare officers and the courts ALL need to work together and support each other if not, the child will not get or be fully protected, like in a recent case where the welfare officer at the school were threatened by the farther, so every one gave up and put the child at harm/high risk.

Of course it's not too little too late if it saves the lives of other kids who are being abused as we type comments here right now and tomorrow and the next day.

In a post on a related topic a few days ago, I commented on Japan's apparently inability to ever react to such tragedies, beyond a bow and an apology.

I am glad to see that Abe has realised that there is an institutional weakness that needs addressing and is making efforts to see the situation resolved. There have been too many avoidable deaths in Japan and this intervention is overdue and necessary.

Too little too late. Knee jerk reaction 

OK. We'll cancel plans to increase spending on child welfare then!

Instead of treating the effects of child abuse, they should be more concerned about why the incidents of child abuse are increasing.

Yeah - why waste money on hurt and damaged children when we can write a highly subjective report? You can do both you know - they are not mutually exclusive options.

I understand what the government says it will do. However, I am more concerned about what they will actually do to check the safety of children reported in child abuse.

Simply making a phone call to the residence, speaking with school employees, or a one time visit to the child’s home is not enough and doesn’t ensure any kind of safety.

@gogogo

There is no such thing as too little too late. This impacts many children. There is only action and inaction. I’m glad to see them take action. Hopefully it is not attempt to take action.

Instead of treating the effects of child abuse, they should be more concerned about why the incidents of child abuse are increasing. The birthrate is rapidly decreasing, but child abuse is rapidly increasing. It does not paint a very picture of Japanese society, does it?

70 years after the war, imported human right consciousness is not taking root enough among people in Japan.

Too little too late. Knee jerk reaction to la K of oversight on Abe's watch.

Until there is prosecution of people in Govt. organizations who are negligent in their duties to protect these children from abuse then there will be no changes no matter how many new people you hire. A bow and an apology should never allow a person to escape responsibility for placing a child in a known dangerous environment.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday the government will confirm within a month the safety of all children suspected to have been abused in Japan

Eh? So they don’t do back up checks already?