The Act on Prevention of Child Abuse (Act No. 82 of 2000) covers abusive acts on children under 18. Although the Act has no original penal provisions, it clarifies the definition of child abuse and specifies matters concerning the prevention and detection of child abuse and measures to be taken after any child abuse is detected. Table 5-1-5-2 shows the number of cases and persons cleared for abusive acts specified by this Act as penal code offenses, etc. (hereinafter such cases shall be referred to as "cases concerning child abuse" in this Section), over the last seven years.

Table 5-1-5-2  Number of cases and persons cleared for cases concerning child abuse (1999-2005)

  Table 5-1-5-3 shows the relationship between perpetrators and victims of cases concerning child abuse in 2005.
  Fathers, etc. took up the largest proportion at 69.4% among overall persons cleared for cases concerning child abuse, but with regard to homicide and abandonment by a person responsible for protection, the percentage of cases by mothers, etc. was high at 80.0% and 87.5%, respectively.

Table 5-1-5-3  Relationship between perpetrators and victims for cases concerning child abuse (2005)