Man at Daycare Facility Reoffends: Can Japan’s Version of “DBS” Prevent Heinous Crimes Against Children?

Stored multiple images of a boy’s private parts on his smartphone.

On December 13, Yuki Furukawa (38 at the time of his arrest), accused of indecent assault on a 4-year-old boy in a restroom at a daycare facility, held his first trial at the Tokyo District Court.

A small, overweight man wearing a gray top and bottom sweatshirt and a mask appeared in court and took his seat with a blank expression on his face, showing no signs of agitation at the sight of the packed auditorium. He had short hair at the time of his arrest, but had shaved his head, perhaps to show remorse.

 According to the indictment, in August 2024, Furukawa directly touched the anus of a 4-year-old boy who attended a daycare facility in Bunkyo Ward, where he worked as a childcare assistant. Regarding the indictment, Furukawa admitted in a small voice, “There is no doubt about it.”

According to the opening statement read by the prosecutor, Furukawa became sexually aroused by the boy’s buttocks, anus, and defecation, and saved images of the boy’s buttocks on his smartphone. The incident came to light when the boy reported the incident to his mother.

“Initially, Furukawa denied the charges, saying, ‘I have no recollection of such acts.’ However, his smartphone contained multiple images of boys’ buttocks,” said a judicial correspondent for a national newspaper.

 

How effective is the Japanese version of “DBS”?

In recent years, cases of sexual abuse against children in educational settings have been on the rise.

On November 14, the Tokyo District Court also held a trial for a former daycare worker accused of sexual offenses. Nagataku Osada (27) was charged with five crimes, including non-consensual intercourse and violations of child pornography laws, for sexually assaulting a total of seven children at two daycare centers where he worked and photographing three of them. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

The seriousness of the situation has prompted action at the national level. In June 2024, the Japanese version of the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service), which mandates criminal record checks for individuals working in jobs involving contact with children, was approved in a plenary session of the House of Councillors. The new law is scheduled to take effect during fiscal 2026.

“Sex offenders tend to fall into the mindset of ‘I want to do it even if I get caught,’ rather than ‘I won’t do it because I don’t want to get caught.’ Many sexual crimes in educational settings are said to be first offenses. I believe the Japanese version of the DBS can be expected to have a certain level of effectiveness,” said a journalist knowledgeable about sexual crimes.

The educational environment should be a place that protects children above all else. It is imperative to urgently devise methods to ensure that such crimes never occur.