Japan finds 47 cases of abuse of 'second-generation followers'

There were 47 child abuse cases apparently reflecting parents' religious beliefs in Japan between April 2022 and September 2023, a Children and Families Agency survey showed Friday.
The suspected abuse cases were found by child consultation centers across the country, with victims temporarily taken into protective custody in 19 of the total cases, while some of the victims, often called "second-generation followers," sought support to become more self-reliant or advance to the next level of education.

The agency plans to consider necessary measures based on the results of the survey, which also covered medical institutions with critical care centers and municipal governments as well as elementary, and junior and senior high schools.

Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting conducted the survey on behalf of the agency using subsidies.

Of 232 child consultation centers across the country, 229 gave answers. Among the respondents, 37 facilities, or 16.2%, said that they detected child abuse cases believed to have been caused mainly by parents' religious beliefs.

Of the 47 detected abuse cases, those in which parents blocked their children's free decision-making by inciting fear through the use of words and images accounted for the largest share. In other cases, parents forced their children to declare in front of others that they are following religions or compelled their children to engage in activities to spread the religions they believe in by intimidating them.

According to responses given by 138 medical institutions, there were 10 cases in which parents did not allow their children to see doctors or receive blood transfusion deemed necessary by doctors, and as many cases in which parents did not permit medical treatment except blood transfusion judged necessary by doctors for their children. Seven other cases were also found, including one in which cancer chemotherapy was not given.

These cases were reported between October 2020 and September 2023.

In February this year, 28 second-generation followers in the age group of 10 to 29 were interviewed as part of the survey.

As reasons for not consulting others over abuse, some respondents said that all of their relatives are religious followers and that they had no one to talk to or seek help from. Others said they thought that they would be separated from their parents if they consulted child consultation centers.

Some of the victims called for greater support for their self-reliance, an environment allowing them to take shelter from their families even if only temporarily and consultation services that are out of the reach of their parents, according to the agency.