The number of consultations on child abuse rose to a record 18,804 in fiscal 2000, 60 percent higher than the previous year, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Thursday.
The numbers, which cover tips from third parties such as schools and neighbors as well as inquiries from people who fear they may be abusing children, indicate a 17-fold rise over the past 10 years.
The number of such consultations at child-welfare facilities nationwide was 1,101 in fiscal 1990, when the ministry began compiling statistics, and topped 10,000 for the first time in fiscal 1999, when 11,631 consultations were held, according to the ministry.