ISTANBUL (AA) – With over 200,000 cases of child abuse reported in Japan last year, the country broke previous records for a consecutive 31 years, according to the latest data released on Friday.

Data from the country’s Health Ministry showed that 207,659 incidences of child abuse were reported in 2021, an increase of 2,615 over the previous year.

It is a new record for the 31st straight year, according to official figures.

“The rate of increase has slowed but we need to continue monitoring the situation,” said a health ministry official quoted by Tokyo-based Kyodo News, adding that determining the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on data is difficult because related factors have both aggravated and improved the situation.

The data also showed that “psychological abuse, including physically abusing family members in front of children, accounted for about 60% of cases in which child consultation centers across the country took action.”

Early in June, Japan revised its Child Welfare Law to “enhance measures against child abuse and support childrearing households.” It is now in the implementation stage.

Around half of all cases reported in 2021 were brought to child consultation centers by police.

Though the number of police referrals had been increasing in recent years due to collaboration between the centers and the police, new data showed a 521-case decrease from the previous year.​​​​​​​