Abe vows efforts to eradicate child abuse after girl’s death

February 7, 2019

Tokyo--Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that the government will make all-out efforts to eradicate child abuse, in response to a recent series of such cases in Japan.

The pledge came after the death last month of Mia Kurihara, then a 10-year-old elementary school student in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, whose father has been arrested for allegedly assaulting her.

The girl's death, which drew keen domestic media attention, is "really heart-wrenching and should never have happened," Abe said at a House of Councillors committee meeting.

"We're determined to do all we can (to prevent child abuse cases), including providing full-scale support for efforts by local authorities," Abe stressed. "We must work while putting children's lives first."

He noted that the government has sent officials from the education and welfare ministries to respond to the case in Noda. Jiji Press