Child abuse cases in Japan hit record 335 in 2009

Japan's police detected a record 335 cases of child abuse in 2009.

The National Police Agency says the number is up 28 from the previous year and the highest since 1999 when they started collecting such data.

234 cases involved physical abuse, 91 sexual abuse and 10 involved negligence on the part of the guardians of children.

356 people were arrested as abusers. The victims' biological fathers accounted for 33 percent, followed by biological mothers at 28 percent and stepfathers at 19 percent.

The number of victimized children also hit a record 347, with 28 of them killed as a result of abuse.

Police are concerned that child abuse cases often don't surface for a long time.

To detect abuse at an early stage, they inaugurated a system this month under which a non-profit organization will accept anonymous reports of suspected abuse. Police will also strengthen coordination with other institutions that deal with child abuse.