Child Abuse Deaths
Care centers aware of abuse in most cases of child deaths
"A government research panel investigating cases of child abuse resulting in death has revealed that in most cases local child consultation offices and public heath centers were aware of the abuse but failed to stop it.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare panel investigated the involvement of child consultation offices and health centers in the 24 cases of child abuse that caused 25 children to die between July and December 2003.
Officials said on Thursday that those offices were involved in 21 of the cases but failed to take proper measures to prevent the deaths.
Child consultation offices knew of the abuse in 12 of the cases, but those in charge failed to collect detailed information or were slow to intervene, as they wanted to avoid creating friction with parents, ministry officials said.
In three other cases, health center and related organization officials suspected child abuse but didn't take their suspicions seriously, failing to report the cases to child consultation centers.
In six other cases, officials failed to detect evidence of abuse even though they carried out checkups on the children concerned.
The 25 children who died from child abuse were all less than 6 years old and 44 percent of them were aged less than 12 months. Mothers were the fatal abusers in 50.1 percent of the cases, while fathers fatally abused their children in 30 percent of the cases.Attacks to the head or face resulted in death in 42 percent of the cases.
"If you detect injuries to the head or face of infants, you should suspect potentially fatal abuse," a panel member said, urging health centers and child consultation offices to be more involved in communications with parents."
A government research panel investigating cases of child abuse resulting in death has revealed that in most cases local child consultation offices and public heath centers were aware of the abuse but failed to stop it.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare panel investigated the involvement of child consultation offices and health centers in the 24 cases of child abuse that caused 25 children to die between July and December 2003.
Officials said on Thursday that those offices were involved in 21 of the cases but failed to take proper measures to prevent the deaths.
Child consultation offices knew of the abuse in 12 of the cases, but those in charge failed to collect detailed information or were slow to intervene, as they wanted to avoid creating friction with parents, ministry officials said.
In three other cases, health center and related organization officials suspected child abuse but didn't take their suspicions seriously, failing to report the cases to child consultation centers.
In six other cases, officials failed to detect evidence of abuse even though they carried out checkups on the children concerned.
The 25 children who died from child abuse were all less than 6 years old and 44 percent of them were aged less than 12 months. Mothers were the fatal abusers in 50.1 percent of the cases, while fathers fatally abused their children in 30 percent of the cases. Attacks to the head or face resulted in death in 42 percent of the cases.
"If you detect injuries to the head or face of infants, you should suspect potentially fatal abuse," a panel member said, urging health centers and child consultation offices to be more involved in communications with parents.
Mainichi Shimbun, Japan April 29, 2005
"A government research panel investigating cases of child abuse resulting in death has revealed that in most cases local child consultation offices and public heath centers were aware of the abuse but failed to stop it.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare panel investigated the involvement of child consultation offices and health centers in the 24 cases of child abuse that caused 25 children to die between July and December 2003.
Officials said on Thursday that those offices were involved in 21 of the cases but failed to take proper measures to prevent the deaths.
Child consultation offices knew of the abuse in 12 of the cases, but those in charge failed to collect detailed information or were slow to intervene, as they wanted to avoid creating friction with parents, ministry officials said.
In three other cases, health center and related organization officials suspected child abuse but didn't take their suspicions seriously, failing to report the cases to child consultation centers.
In six other cases, officials failed to detect evidence of abuse even though they carried out checkups on the children concerned.
The 25 children who died from child abuse were all less than 6 years old and 44 percent of them were aged less than 12 months. Mothers were the fatal abusers in 50.1 percent of the cases, while fathers fatally abused their children in 30 percent of the cases.Attacks to the head or face resulted in death in 42 percent of the cases.
"If you detect injuries to the head or face of infants, you should suspect potentially fatal abuse," a panel member said, urging health centers and child consultation offices to be more involved in communications with parents."
A government research panel investigating cases of child abuse resulting in death has revealed that in most cases local child consultation offices and public heath centers were aware of the abuse but failed to stop it.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare panel investigated the involvement of child consultation offices and health centers in the 24 cases of child abuse that caused 25 children to die between July and December 2003.
Officials said on Thursday that those offices were involved in 21 of the cases but failed to take proper measures to prevent the deaths.
Child consultation offices knew of the abuse in 12 of the cases, but those in charge failed to collect detailed information or were slow to intervene, as they wanted to avoid creating friction with parents, ministry officials said.
In three other cases, health center and related organization officials suspected child abuse but didn't take their suspicions seriously, failing to report the cases to child consultation centers.
In six other cases, officials failed to detect evidence of abuse even though they carried out checkups on the children concerned.
The 25 children who died from child abuse were all less than 6 years old and 44 percent of them were aged less than 12 months. Mothers were the fatal abusers in 50.1 percent of the cases, while fathers fatally abused their children in 30 percent of the cases. Attacks to the head or face resulted in death in 42 percent of the cases.
"If you detect injuries to the head or face of infants, you should suspect potentially fatal abuse," a panel member said, urging health centers and child consultation offices to be more involved in communications with parents.
Mainichi Shimbun, Japan April 29, 2005
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