Japan's child abuse cases soar to record high 89,000 in 2014

(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN) It was the 24th consecutive year of increase since the ministry started compiling such statistics in fiscal 1990.

The spike in the number of cases reported to child consultation centers in fiscal 2014 is partly due to a change in identifying child abuse victims. Starting in mid-2013, children who witnessed abuse of their siblings were counted as victims of psychological abuse.

Children who witness domestic violence among their parents have been increasingly reported by police as victims to child consultation centers.

The ministry also said 69 children died as a result of abuse in fiscal 2013.

Thirty-three of the fatal cases involved murder-suicide by their parents or other adults.

Of the remaining 36 fatal cases, 16 involved infants under 1 year old.

In these cases, 16 children were killed by their mothers, eight were killed by their fathers, and five were killed by both parents, according to the ministry.

Physical assaults resulted in 21 deaths, while nine children died as a result of neglect, according to the ministry report.

As for the reasons their children died, parents in six cases said they neglected to ensure the safety of their kids.

In four fatal cases each, parents said they “tried to discipline children” or “rejected the children’s existence.”

Parents cited “frustration from children who did not stop crying” in four additional cases.