Japan's slow action on doctors convicted of sex crimes allows reoffending

Doctors convicted of sex crimes in Japan are able to continue practicing for years before the government revokes their licenses or imposes other sanctions, a situation that has led to some practitioners reoffending while action is pending.

According to an analysis of 48 cases between July 2023 and July 2026, the time between a guilty verdict and the imposition of a sanction ranged from approximately one year and two months to over 12 years, averaging about four years. This period allows individuals convicted of serious offenses, including indecent acts with patients, to continue working in medical institutions.

Fourteen of these cases involved indecent acts committed with patients at workplaces or during medical care. For these specific offenses, the delay before sanctions ranged from about one year and two months to four years and eight months, averaging around three years and three months.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare cited the time required to gather information on criminal penalties and conduct interviews with the doctors as reasons for the delays. However, Yu Tadokoro, co-head of the victims' group Spring, urged for the prompt imposition of sanctions once guilty verdicts are finalized, emphasizing the importance of checking administrative sanction histories to prevent further harm.

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Abuse by doctors is hard to detect and it is important to check administrative sanction histories to prevent harm.