News Saitama Prefecture: leaving kids at home alone is child abuse

Even though there are no penalties in the ordinance, opposition assembly members took issue with the measure, saying it only added more pressure on parents already struggling to find a day care center for their young offspring. The measure, submitted to the assembly on 4 October, would ban adult guardians from leaving children in the third grade or younger alone at home. As for fourth to sixth graders, parents would be obligated to make efforts to ensure an adult is always on the premises. In a controversial provision, the measure obligates other Saitama residents to report cases if they notice young children alone at home. The 6 October session of the welfare, public health and medical care committee was inundated with questions about the proposal because of the vagueness of the wording. Among other actions, the proposal defined abuse as leaving young children alone at home or elsewhere while no guardians were present.

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In withdrawing the proposal, the LDP said the philosophy behind the bill was not yet fully grasped in the sense that it was intended to help society to safeguard children. The bill stated that even letting children go to school or play at a neighborhood park by themselves would constitute an act of neglect. Working and single parents, local PTAs and opposition assembly members blasted the proposal as unrealistic, saying LDP politicians were out of touch. The proposed ordinance would have covered third graders, 8- or 9-year-olds, and younger children, and oblige the public to report cases of "neglect" they came across. No penalty was envisaged for breaching the rules. However, Tamura suggested earlier that a penalty would be introduced in the future, if necessary.

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