Tokyo, Sep 13 (IANS): A total of 72 children died from abuse in Japan in the 2022 fiscal year, with over 40 percent of the victims being infants under one year old, government data showed.

The figure from April 2022 to March 2023 logged an increase of two cases from the previous fiscal year, a report by the Children and Families Agency showed.

Among the total, 16 were linked to murder-suicides, while children under three made up nearly 70 percent of the total fatalities in the remaining 56 child abuse cases.

Some 25 victims were babies under one year old, according to the report, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the 56 abuse-related deaths excluding murder-suicides, neglect, or child-rearing abandonment, accounted for 42.9 percent, followed by physical abuse at 30.4 percent.

Biological mothers were found to be the main abusers in 23 cases, while biological fathers were responsible in six cases. There were seven cases in which both parents were held accountable.

The agency's expert committee recommended establishing a seamless support system from pregnancy through postnatal care, calling for increased awareness of the nationwide child consultation hotline which directly connects to the nearest child consultation center.