Sexual abuse surges in Japan

2005-05-12 10:51

Tokyo - Reported sexual assaults of children have surged 70% over the past decade in Japan, according to a newspaper poll published on Thursday.

Police received 2 607 reports of rape or other sexual assaults on children aged 15 or younger in 2004, the Mainichi Shimbun said. It compared with 1 503 cases in a similar compilation done by police for 1994.

Of the 2004 total, 232 were rape cases, the daily said.

The Mainichi survey covered 46 of Japan's 47 prefectures as one province refused to give the number due to privacy reasons, it said.

The surge in the number was believed to be partly because victims had become less likely to bear crimes silently, the paper said, adding the real figure was still believed to be higher.

Japan has gradually been stepping up enforcement of laws to protect children from sexual exploitation after a string of bad publicity in a country where the age of consent is 13.

In March, 60 Japanese travel agents signed a code of conduct to forbid involvement of children in sex tours in Southeast Asia. At home, Japan has tried to curtail visa loopholes used in the sexual trafficking of women and girls.

- AFP