By SHIMPACHI YOSHIDA/ Senior Staff Writer
December 24, 2025 at 07:00 JST
Authorities plan to introduce a new victim record in booklet form that will document crime details and the assistance that victims have received, to avoid making them repeat their stories to different agencies.
Building on similar existing publications, the booklet is expected to help new staffers grasp a victim’s plight at a glance.
For those possessing the booklet, it will provide contact information for support organizations and guidance on legal and administrative procedures.
The measures are part of a new five‑year plan set to begin the next fiscal year, with public comments invited from Nov. 5 to 26.
The new booklet would be handed to victims or bereaved families when a crime occurs. Police officials say they will refine the content after hearing from victim support groups.
Similar tools already exist in some prefectures, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Saga, where they help victims keep track of the support they receive.
Alongside the booklet, authorities are considering a case file system where municipalities and support organizations keep a shared record of the support process.
Coordinators would log what assistance has been provided, so if victims return for advice later, agencies can respond more adeptly.
The broader plan also encourages workplaces to allow victims time off to recover from psychological or physical harm, or to participate in investigations and trials.
It calls for research into how other countries handle a victim's right to seek damages from offenders. In total, 305 measures are listed--26 more than in the current plan.
The latest crime victim support plan marks the fifth initiative in the five‑year program launched in 2005.
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