児童虐待、１５年で６倍　防止法で顕在化―犯罪白書

　法務省は２９日、犯罪白書の２０１９年版を公表した。１８年の児童虐待関連の検挙人数は、５年連続増の１４１９人で過去最多。記録が残る中で最も古い０３年は２４２人で、１５年で約６倍に増えた。
　児童虐待を罪名別にみると、０３年は多い順に傷害＝致死含む＝９８人（４０．５％）、殺人８５人（３５．１％）、保護責任者遺棄２０人（８．３％）だったのに対し、１８年は傷害＝同＝５９１人（４１．６％）、暴行４５７人（３２．２％）、強制わいせつ１０１人（７．１％）。特に伸びが著しいのは、暴行約７６倍、強制わいせつ約３４倍、強制性交等（強姦＝ごうかん）１４倍だった。法務省の担当者は「児童虐待防止法の施行（００年）以降、痛ましい事件が顕在化する傾向にある」と話している。
　今回の犯罪白書は、令和への改元を踏まえ、「平成の刑事施策」を振り返る特集と位置付けた。平成の時代に「犯罪被害者のための施策が大きく進展した」と指摘。０５年施行の犯罪被害者等基本法を機に、公判への被害者参加制度や少年審判の傍聴制度が創設されたことなどを紹介した。（2019/11/29-08:22）

The number of people arrested by police for abusing children in Japan in 2018 grew for the fifth consecutive year to a record high of 1,419, a white paper by the Justice Ministry showed Friday.
   The figure was up some six-fold from 242 in 2003, when the ministry started keeping records.
   In 2003, the number of people arrested for causing injuries to children, including those resulting in death, came to 98, accounting for 40.5 pct of the total, 85 were arrested for murder, making up 35.1 pct, and 20 for negligence as guardians, comprising 8.3 pct.
   In 2018, 591 people were arrested for injuring children, accounting for 41.6 pct. Those who used violence against children made up 32.2 pct, totaling 457 and up about 76-fold from 2003.
   The number of those engaged in indecent assaults came to 101 last year, 7.1 pct of the total and up 34 times. The number of arrests made over sexual attacks such as forcible rape increased 14-fold.