TOKYO: The Japanese Parliament on Wednesday enacted a law for introducing a system to enable employers to check whether job applicants are registered sex offenders dating back 20 years, in a bid to block sex crime convicts from jobs involving children, Kyodo news agency reported.
Under the system, dubbed the “Japanese DBS” in a nod to the British government’s Disclosure and Barring Service, schools, daycare centres and kindergartens will be required to refer job applicants for sex offence record checks by the Children and Families Agency.
Cram schools and afterschool clubs can voluntarily sign up for the programme, expected to be implemented around the fiscal year 2026, and will receive an official certification that can be used in marketing materials. Freelance private tutors and other self-employed individuals are exempt from the system.
Parents and children support groups had been lobbying for the system to protect the safety of kids following a spate of sexual abuse cases at daycare centres and cram schools in recent years.
If the agency confirms a jobseeker was given either a prison term for a sexual offence in the last 20 years or a fine in the past 10 years, the individual will be notified and given the option to decline the job offer.
If they choose not to turn down the offer, the agency will inform the prospective employer of the background check’s outcome.
The checks will cover criminal offence convictions such as nonconsensual sex, as well as violations of local ordinances, including groping and voyeurism.
Under the new law, employers will also be required to take action if it is deemed that an existing employee, despite having no sexual criminal record, could commit a sexual offence based on complaints by parents or children.
But to strike a balance with people’s freedom to choose their occupation, the government plans to compile guidelines laying out criteria for employers to use when implementing precautionary measures or dealing with an allegation against a worker.
The precautionary measures include removing the employees from roles that bring them into direct contact with kids and ensuring that children are not left alone with them. If the employers are unable to take such measures, they can also fire the worker in question.
The House of Councillors passed the bill Wednesday after it cleared the House of Representatives in late May.
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