Domestic Violence Consultations Hit Record 98,000 in Japan in 2025

Tokyo, March 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police received 98,289 requests for consultations over domestic violence in 2025, up 3.5 pct year on year and hitting the highest level since the 2001 entry into force of the law for preventing such acts, National Police Agency data showed Thursday. The annual number increased for 22 years in a row. Men accounted for some 30 pct of the victims. Of the total, police took action on 8,358 cases, down 0.7 pct. Violence and assaults made up about 90 pct, and murder and attempted murder accounted for 128 cases, while 88 cases were for violations of restraining and other orders for the protection of victims. The number of children aged up to 17 who were referred to child consultation centers by police over suspected abuse inched up 0.2 pct to 122,588. Child abuse cases that led to arrests or other police actions fell 2.2 pct to 2,592, and the number of victims in the cases decreased 2 pct to 2,647, both marking the second-highest figures. The number of cases on which police actions were taken based on reports from child consultation centers came to a record 1,131, indicating that cooperation between police and such centers is progressing. The NPA also said that requests for consultations over so-called revenge pornography jumped 18.1 pct to a record 2,514, up for the ninth consecutive year. Of all victims, about 80 pct were in their 20s or younger, while some 30 pct were men. Romantic partners accounted for 44.4 pct of offenders in all cases. Online-only acquaintances accounted for 33.4 pct. Police took actions on 393 cases, up 18.3 pct, including 65 cases that amounted to violations of the revenge pornography prevention law. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]