The death of a 10-year-old girl in Chiba Prefecture after alleged abuse by her father has added to cases that had already raised concern over the country's child protection system.
Insufficient commitment and coordination by local authorities and schools in tackling such cases have been increasingly criticized since fourth-grader Mia Kurihara died last week at home in the city of Noda, with police arresting her 41-year-old father on suspicion of assault.
The Chiba Prefectural Government has decided to set up a third-party committee to review how the case was handled.