Child abuse continues, despite progress in cooperation, 50 people die each year - Osaka girl assaulted to death

Erena Kanao lost her life at just 3 years old after being assaulted. Although there is progress in cooperation among related organizations regarding child abuse, the number of deaths from child abuse continues, and further countermeasures are urgently needed.

Parents arrested for 3-year-old daughter's death due to abuse, dozens of bruises all over her body - suspected of being assaulted on a daily basis

According to the Children and Families Agency's expert committee, 50 children will die nationwide due to physical abuse or neglect in fiscal 2024, a figure that has remained flat in recent years. Of the 50 children, nearly 70% were 0-year-olds, and seven were 1-5 years old. The ``main perpetrators'' of the 29 children who suffered abuse were their biological parents.

In order to prevent serious cases of abuse from being overlooked, in April 2021, Osaka Prefecture began ``all case sharing'' in which abuse cases received at child guidance centers throughout the area are shared with the prefectural police once a month. More than 10,000 items are shared each year, and collaboration is being strengthened, with plans to operate a real-time sharing system from 2027 onwards.

On the other hand, there are cases where cooperation has failed. In 2021, a 3-year-old boy died after being doused with boiling water by his mother's boyfriend in Settsu, the same prefecture. According to the verification report, the city underestimated the risk of abuse, even though it was constantly aware of information that suggested abuse. The child welfare center, which was sharing information with the city, did not proactively provide advice, and cooperation with the police did not function adequately.

Prefectural police only became aware of Erena's case after she was assaulted and taken to the hospital. A senior prefectural police officer bit his lip and said, ``It's unfortunate that we didn't have a chance to help.''