"Doctors Touched Me": First Survey Reveals Wave of Patient Complaints... Japan Discloses Sexual Violence in Medical Institutions

A survey has found that more than one out of every ten medical institutions in Japan have reported complaints of sexual violence against patients perpetrated by doctors or other medical staff. The fact that these incidents occurred in spaces where patients have no choice but to entrust their bodies to medical professionals, such as hospital wards and examination rooms, has shocked Japanese society. Notably, about one in ten victims was a minor under the age of 18, reigniting debate over the need for a system to check the sexual crime records of medical staff within medical institutions.

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According to a report by Yonhap News on May 6, citing NHK and other sources, a survey conducted by the Children and Families Agency of Japan on sexual violence in medical institutions found that 140 out of 903 responding institutions, or 15.5%, stated that there had been complaints or issues involving patients who suffered sexual harm at the hands of doctors or other healthcare workers. The survey was conducted by questionnaire between December of last year and January of this year, and this is the first government-level disclosure of sexual violence in medical institutions. Hospital wards were the most common location for incidents, accounting for 36.2%. Complaints were also received regarding incidents in examination and testing rooms, where medical procedures take place.

Breaking down the victims by age, those aged 19 and those in their 20s and 30s accounted for the largest proportion at 42.2%. Those aged 60 and older made up 29.4%, while individuals in their 40s and 50s represented 18.3%. Minors aged 18 and under accounted for 10.1% of the victims. Among them, middle and high school students comprised 6.4%, while elementary school students and younger made up 3.7%. Regarding the types of harm, allowing for multiple answers, physical contact not involving sexual areas was most common at 44.2%. Contact with sexual areas accounted for 37.2%, and sexually harassing remarks were reported by 21.2% of respondents. Some cases were found to constitute serious crimes, such as illegal filming or non-consensual sexual acts.

The Japanese government plans to implement a system for checking sexual crime records for those seeking employment in child-related professions starting in December 2026. However, medical institutions are currently excluded from the scope of this system. Based on the results of this survey, the Japanese government intends to consider including medical institutions in the system during the review process of the "Act for the Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Children."

The issue of sex crimes committed by medical professionals has also been repeatedly raised in Korea. According to data from the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, 793 doctors, Korean medicine doctors, and dentists were arrested for sexual crimes between 2018 and 2022. Of these, rape and forced molestation accounted for 689 cases, or 86.9%. This was followed by 80 cases of illegal filming, 19 cases of obscene acts using communication media, and 5 cases of entering public places for sexual purposes.

Furthermore, police data released in 2024 showed that 962 doctors were arrested for sexual crimes between 2019 and 2023, the highest number among professional occupational groups. However, during this period, there were no cases in which a doctor's license was revoked for violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act alone, and it was only later that the first revocation for a sexual crime was reported.

In Korea, the 2023 revision of the Medical Service Act expanded the scope for license revocation to include medical professionals sentenced to imprisonment or heavier punishment. However, there continues to be debate as to whether restrictions on medical practices and re-employment management for medical professionals who have committed sexual crimes are sufficient. Recently, a proposed amendment to the Medical Service Act has also been introduced, which would restrict the licenses of doctors who commit sexual crimes for a certain period, and impose longer restrictions for those who commit sexual offenses against children and adolescents, indicating that controversy on this issue is likely to continue.

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