Criminal Offenses Down But Child Abuse At New High
The number of criminal offenses in Japan fell to a new postwar low last year as more people stayed home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Police Agency says 614,303 criminal offenses were recorded across Japan in 2020. The figure declined by about 134,000, or 17.9 percent, from the previous year.
The figure has been declining for 18 consecutive years from the peak of 2.85 million in 2002.
Street crimes, such as bag-snatching and muggings, plunged 27 percent from the previous year after a state of emergency was declared last April.
But the number of suspected abuse cases involving children under 18 rose to 106,960, surpassing the 100,000 mark for the first time since record-keeping began.
Police apprehensions for child abuse were at a record high of 2,131.
Experts point out that it's becoming harder for outsiders to detect irregularities as children are being kept indoors.
The agency says it will work closely with the relevant institutions to deal with the problem.