Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, before a Cabinet session on March 19 (Takeshi Iwashita)

The Cabinet on March 19 approved a bill that requires schools and child care facilities to check their employees and prospective hires for records of sex crimes and to protect youngsters from offenders.

Modeled after the system used in Britain, Japan's version of the Disclosure and Barring Service requires employers to reassign employees with sex-crime records to positions that minimize interaction with children.

The bill is part of broader legislation aimed at preventing sex abuse against children that is expected to be submitted to the current Diet session.

Parliamentary debate on the bill will likely focus on balancing the need to protect children and the constitutional right to freedom of occupation.

Lawmakers will also discuss how to prevent sex offenses against children by individuals with no criminal background.

Schools and nursery schools overseen by the government will be required to screen the sexual offense histories of current employees and job applicants.

The DBS is optional for other facilities, such as nongovernment-approved nursery schools, afterschool centers and cram schools.

Organizations that join the DBS and follow the rules on background checks can then advertise their participation in the system to demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding children.

Criminal records to be checked include not only sex offenses under the Penal Code but also violations of local ordinances, such as groping and flashing.

Sex-offense records will be accessible for 20 years after the offenders complete their prison sentences, or 10 years after the final judgment in cases that result in suspended sentences.

The period is also 10 years after final judgments in cases resulting in fines or a lesser punishment.

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