Japan recorded the highest-ever number of child abuse cases in 2024, with police handling 2,649 incidents, the National Police Agency said Wednesday.
The figure marks an 11.1% increase compared to 2023 and represents the largest annual total since records began.
Of the 2,649 cases, 2,136 involved physical abuse, 431 were classified as sexual abuse, 54 as psychological abuse and 28 as negligence.
Police also recorded 32 cases of child murder.
The total number of child abuse victims reported to police reached 2,700 in 2024, representing a 285% increase from the previous year, the agency said.
The number of child deaths linked to abuse stood at 52.
Authorities also received 122,378 notifications of suspected abuse from child guidance centers, a slight decrease of 0.3% from 2023.
