May 18 (Japan Times) - More than 90 percent of child abuse and sexual crime victims and their families didn’t receive compensation from their assailants, nor public financial assistance, largely due to the lack of awareness on the consultation services available, police data showed Thursday.
The National Police Agency analyzed the answers of 917 respondents who said they were crime victims — as well as family members of victims — in an online survey conducted between Jan. 19 and 28 that focused on men and women aged 20 or older.
The survey, conducted with the aim of following up with past victims and incorporating their experiences into national policies, covered six types of crimes; violent crimes including murder and assault, sexual crimes, traffic incidents, domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse.
According to the data, the proportion of victims who didn’t receive compensation or financial aid stood at 94.2 percent in child abuse cases, followed by sexual crimes at 92.9 percent, domestic violence at 91.1 percent and stalking at 90.2 percent.
The state provides lump sum benefits for bereaved families of victims, or those who were seriously injured or disabled in criminal cases.
An NPA official believes a lot of victims are compelled to suffer in silence and tend to go unnoticed, as many respondents also said they did not report their cases to the police.
