A total of 1,991 minors in Japan aged under 18 were victims of child abuse last year, marking a 42.8 percent jump from the previous year and hitting a record high, the National Police Agency said in a report on Thursday.Of the victims, 54 died, including 10-year-old Mia Kurihara in a high-profile case. Her parents have been indicted for physically abusing her and depriving her of sleep and nutrition. Mia was found dead in the bathroom of their home in Noda near Tokyo on Jan. 24, 2019.A record-high 98,222 minors were referred to child welfare centers nationwide on suspicion of being abused, …READ FULL ARTICLE
