Tokyo: The number of sexual assault cases in Japan involving violence or threats rose 9.9 percent to 4,708, according to the data released by the National Police Agency.
The data showed that the number of serious sex offenses in 2022 grew sharply than that of the previous year. It also recorded that the cases of forced intercourse climbing 19.3 percent since a 2017 revision in the criminal law changed the definition of the crime and strengthened penalties.
The number of rapes and other types of sexual assault increased for the second straight year. Besides, six serious crimes, including murder and sex-related offenses, grew 8.1 percent to 9,536 cases.
The total number of criminal offenses in Japan in 2022 increased 5.9 percent to 601,389, according to provisional figures released by the agency.
Considering the alarming surge in crime against women, the Japanese government has set up support centers in all prefectures to offer consultations to victims of sex crimes and violence to provide all kinds of assistance including counseling at obstetricians and gynecologists and reporting incidents to police and lawyers.
According to the data provided by the centers said the number of consultations in fiscal 2021 ended last March climbed 14.9 percent from the previous year to 58,771.
Last year, Japan’s army fired five servicemen and punished four others in a sexual assault case brought by a former soldier, prompting a rare investigation across the Defense Ministry that found over 100 other complaints of harassment.
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