In Japan, coronavirus crisis traps families at home with domestic abuse

Amid a spate of suspicious deaths and the launch of a national domestic violence hotline, experts are warning that the worst could be yet to come

Couples that would normally spend whole days apart are now forced to be together round the clock – and there’s more than ever to argue about

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Japan is grappling with an apparent rise in domestic violence as families are trapped at home together under coronavirus lockdown. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 12:00pm, 22 Apr 2020Updated: 10:39pm, 22 Apr 2020

A new hotline for victims of domestic violence in Japan that opened on Monday is “absolutely needed”, according to experts, as the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus crisis begin to deepen.

Unveiled by Seiko Hashimoto, the minister for women’s empowerment, the free hotline is presently available from 9am to 9pm, but from April 29 it is planned to be a 24-hour service, with support available in a number of foreign languages – including Thai, Tagalog, Korean and Vietnamese – from May 1.

Although no official figures have been released showing an uptick in domestic violence since the fallout from the pandemic began affecting jobs and livelihoods in Japan, a cursory glance at domestic headlines would suggest such incidents are indeed on the rise and Hashimoto herself has said the government intends to make more funds available for support groups and shelters.

Seiko Hashimoto wears a protective face mask as she attends an upper house parliamentary session in Tokyo earlier this month. Photo: Reuters

Recent cases include the arrest on Thursday of 45-year-old Chieko Yoshida on suspicion of killing her 47-year-old husband. Their relatives and neighbours in the town of Kuji, in Iwate Prefecture, told local media that they were unaware of any problems between the couple.

The following day, an 18-year-old woman in Fukushima Prefecture was arrested on suspicion of killing her nine-month-old son. That same day, police in Aichi Prefecture took a 22-year-old woman into custody on charges of killing her nine-day-old son.

In Japan, coronavirus crisis traps families at home with domestic abuse

Amid a spate of suspicious deaths and the launch of a national domestic violence hotline, experts are warning that the worst could be yet to come Couples that would normally spend whole days apart are now forced to be together round the clock – and there’s more than ever to argue about

Amid a spate of suspicious deaths and the launch of a national domestic violence hotline, experts are warning that the worst could be yet to come

Couples that would normally spend whole days apart are now forced to be together round the clock – and there’s more than ever to argue about