Child abuse hits record high in Japan

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TOKYO, Aug 10 (AFP): A record 157 children fell victim to abuse in the first half of this year in Japan, police said Friday, as gruesome cases shocked the nation.
Eighteen of the children died. The 157 abused children represented the highest figure since the national police agency started compiling comparable data in 2000.
Parents were often the assailants, with 48 biological mothers and 45 biological fathers held responsible for the crimes.
Japan has one of the world's lowest crime rates but has seen a series of widely publicised attacks on children.
A 29-year-old man was arrested this week for injuring his seven- year-old son-in-law.