A Tale of Two Care Home Crimes in Japan

In two separate incidents in Japan, vulnerable residents of care facilities tragically lost their lives under disturbing circumstances. In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, a 38-year-old woman with disabilities died in December 2022 after suffering severe burns from overly hot bathwater during staff-assisted bathing. Three employees of the Hitakami-en facility have been referred to prosecutors for professional negligence resulting in death, as the water temperature was found to be dangerously high. Meanwhile, in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, two elderly women were found dead on October 15, hours after being discovered bleeding and unconscious in their care facility. Episode notes: ‘Three Care Workers Referred to Prosecutors Over Fatal Burn Incident at Miyagi Care Facility’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/10/16/three-care-workers-referred-to-prosecutors-over-fatal-burn-incident-at-miyagi-care-facility/ ‘2 Women Found Bleeding at Saitama Elderly Care Facility Die, Former Employee Arrested’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/10/15/2-women-found-bleeding-at-saitama-elderly-care-facility-die/