Ban eyed on possession of child porn / Current Diet session to get lawmakers bill

The Yomiuri Shimbun
March 9, 2008
Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080309TDY01304.htm

The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito likely will revise the law against child prostitution and child pornography to ban individual possession of child pornography, sources close to the coalition said Saturday.

A bill codifying the revision will be submitted by lawmakers during the current session of the Diet, according to the sources.

The move was decided due to international criticism of Japan over its failure to respond to increasing number of pornography cases victimizing children via the Internet, the sources said.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer is expected to visit Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama as early as Tuesday to request that the Japanese government ban individual possession of child pornography.

According to the Justice Ministry, of the Group of Eight major industrialized countries, only Japan and Russia do not explicitly ban individual possession of child pornography. Transmission of child pornography originating from Japan via the Internet has been criticized.

In response to the situation regarding the issue at home and abroad, the LDP set up a subcommittee to review the law under the party's Judicial Affairs Division. At the subcommittee's first meeting on Friday, led by former Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama, members decided to discuss banning individual possession and stipulating punishment for violators.

New Komeito also established a task force within the party in December to discuss a revision.

The law prohibiting the purchase of sex from those aged 17 or younger, sales of child pornography and posting of such images or material on the Internet was enacted in 1999 with the sponsorship of a cross-party group of lawmakers.

The LDP and New Komeito aim this time as well to obtain suprapartisan support for a bill to revise the law.

Prior to the 1999 law's introduction, there had been discussion of a prohibition on individual possession without punishment of child pornography. However, due to strong opposition over concerns that privacy rights would be invaded, such a clause was not introduced.

In 2004, when the law was revised to regulate production and possession of child pornography for the purpose of distribution, opposition parties objected to the banning of individual possession, and again, it was not adopted.

In 1999, 25 child pornography cases were prosecuted.

However, the number has increased, with charges laid in 214 and 585 cases in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

(Mar. 9, 2008)