The government will train translators to support foreign women victimized by domestic violence or human-trafficking, officials said Wednesday.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will begin training sessions in April for applicants with linguistic experience so they can deal with the special needs of these kinds of victims, the officials said.
The ministry will split the training costs evenly with prefectural governments.
Many human-trafficking victims are forced to work in the adult entertainment business, including as prostitutes, and they are hesitant about going to the police out of fear caused by threats and violence, the officials said.
From fiscal 2001 to last September, 236 women were given protection as victims of human-trafficking or domestic violence, of whom almost 90 percent were from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.