Tokyo: Sexual abuse of patients has occurred at 15.5 percent of hospitals and other medical facilities in Japan, a government survey found. The survey by the Children and Families Agency, the first of its kind, was conducted online between December 2025 and January 2026 to grasp the actual situation of sexual abuse by doctors, nurses, and other staff against patients, including children. Of the 5,000 institutions surveyed, 1,113 gave valid responses. The results of the survey were announced Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, among the facilities that reported sexual abuse, 34 percent confirmed incidents involving physical contact, voyeurism, and other acts. Those aged 19 to 39 accounted for 66.7 percent of the victims, while junior and senior high school students accounted for 3.3 percent. Many workers who committed abuse belonged to psychosomatic and psychiatry departments or internal medicine departments. About half of the incidents occurred during one-on-one interactions between patients and staff.
A member of an expert panel at the Children and Families Agency stated that patients may face difficulties distinguishing between necessary physical contact and sexual misconduct during medical treatment. Some members called for preventive measures, such as the presence of a third person during medical treatment.
Between fiscal years 2016 and 2025, a medical ethics council that advises the health minister imposed administrative penalties over 150 cases of sexual abuse by medical staff. Of the total, 82 involved doctors, 38 nurses, and 22 dentists. Many incidents occurred in patient rooms or examination areas.
A new Japanese law on preventing sexual offenses against children will take effect on December 25 this year, with a system requiring schools to check whether teachers and other staff personnel have sex crime records set to be introduced. The law's supplementary resolution stipulates that a study will be conducted on whether to make medical institutions subject to the requirement under the check system.
