HYOGO (TR) – Himeji City on Friday announced a six-month suspension for a male clerk working as a caseworker for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a female cancer patient under his supervision.
According to the city, the caseworker, 43, was assigned to the Health and Welfare Bureau. In September, he started handling the case involving the woman, who is a welfare recipient, reports Nippon News Network (Dec. 20).
After sending her a short message on his personal mobile phone in October, he frequently communicated with her via chat app Line.
He visited the woman’s home three times at night for personal reasons after finishing work. “I had feelings for her. It was a reckless act,” the male clerk said.
The matter came to light when the male clerk reported the matter to his superiors after an argument between him and the woman in late October.
The man was subsequently transferred to the General Affairs Bureau. He also reportedly provided his personal contact information to two other female welfare recipients in the past via work emails.
According to the victim, the caseworker stayed at the woman’s house until around 11 p.m. and forced her to engage in sex.
At the time, the woman was about to be hospitalized and undergo surgery for cancer.
“Because of the hierarchical relationship, I really wanted to refuse, but refusing would mean I couldn’t live my life, I couldn’t be hospitalized, and I couldn’t get treatment for my illness,” she said. “The government was dodging my questions, and at one point I felt like I wanted to die. I thought, ‘What is this?'”
The woman plans to file a complaint with the police in the future.
Misappropriation of funds
The city also announced that a male clerk was given a three-month suspension for misappropriating a total of 350,000 yen in social club fees that had been saved by employees at the workplace.
Between November last year and September this year, the money was withdrawn in four installments from an account he was managing. He used it to repay debts and pay rent.