Asia-Pacific News
Domestic violence in Japan soars 20 per cent to record high in 2010
Mar 10, 2011, 9:38 GMT
Tokyo - Domestic violence in Japan jumped 20.2 per cent in 2010 to 33,852 reported cases, the highest level since surveys started in 2001, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
The agency said 97.4 per cent of the victims were women. By age bracket, 34.5 per cent of the total were in their 30s, and 23.9 per cent in their 40s.
One major factor behind the surge was the increasing number of victims complaining to police, the courts and other institutions at an early stage, thanks to growing awareness campaigns by government, experts and activists.
The agency said police intervened in 9,748 cases, up 11.7 per cent. Police intervention includes offering advice to victims and trying to prevent violent spouses from locating the whereabouts of their victims.
Experts said they believe the incidence of domestic violence is much higher than reported as many Japanese people still think of violence against women as a family matter rather than a violation of the women's human rights.
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