Behead parents of boy killer, says minister (THAT'S Tokyo Justice for ya!)

IOL ^ | 7.11.03

[mhking]

Tokyo - A Japanese minister said on Friday that the parents of a boy suspected of kidnapping and killing a young child should be "beheaded."

The remarks came a day after a 12-year-old high school student was taken into custody on suspicion that he pushed a four-year-old to his death from the top of a building. The victim was found naked and may have been molested.

"The parents should be dragged through the streets and then beheaded," said Yoshitada Konoike, state minister in charge of deregulation zones and disaster management. "Then parents and their children would be more careful."

The minister, who is also a member of a government panel on juvenile issues, was commenting on a debate about whether the government should revise a law that deems children under the age of 14 not criminally responsible for their actions.

His remarks alluded to a form of capital punishment that was typical in traditional Japan.

Konoike later said the comments were a "just a metaphor" drawn from samurai movies and explained he meant parents should take responsibility when their children break the law.

"Since children (under 14) cannot be punished under the law, their parents should start by showing their face in public and apologising for the trouble caused to society," he said.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was quoted by Kyodo News agency as saying during parliamentary debate that he had not heard the comment, but that, if true, it would be "inappropriate". - Sapa-AP

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[TheAngryClam]

I like this idea...

[ClearCase_guy]

"The parents should be stepped on by a giant lizard. Well, that's just a metaphor drawn from Godzilla movies."

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[JohnnyRidden]

I 2nd that.

[farmfriend]

not to deminish the crime commited but I wondered about this statement.

12-year-old high school student

[Centurion2000]

I've got a better idea .... behead the kid FIRST.

Then sterilize the parents.

[The Brush]

Parents don't have to worry about that threat here, abortion laws regarding parental consent for minors prove that children are responsible for their own decisions (in some states)at eny age.
Parent's here have had their right to choose how to raise their children taken away by the pro-choice people.

[Guillermo]

In the UK college is the US equivalent to high school and university is the US equivalent to college.

I suspect that the Japanese have a similar way of labeling levels of education.

[Brian Mosely]

Why not just enact the Battle Royale Act for real...

[mitchbert]

In Japanese culture the behavior of children is seen as a direct relfection on the character of the parents. Rasing a wayward, or for that matter simply ill-behaved child is seen as a source of great shame.

[7 x 77]

"The parents should be dragged through the streets and then beheaded," said Yoshitada Konoike, state minister in charge of deregulation zones and disaster management. "Then parents and their children would be more careful."

Can anyone deny this?

[Frances_Marion]

They should start with Issei Sagawa, who quite literally got away with murder. Sagawa enjoys celebrity and freedom in Japan after murdering a Dutch girl in cold blood and then mutilating/cannibalising her body.

[The Electrician]

That is simply an incorrect translation by the AP. This story has been getting a lot of "play" by the Japanese media, and even though I'm not much more that a beginner in understanding Japanese, I'm pretty sure that the NHK TV reports clearly identified the perp as a middle-school student, not a high-school student.

[King Prout]

The minister shouldn't have crawdadded back on his initial statement - I think he got it dead-nut on the first go.

[farmfriend]

That would make sense. I was assuming that their school names where not necessarily the same as ours.

[farmfriend]

That was kinda my guess, that the names didn't necessarily coincide

[sushiman]

Elementary school is 6 years ; junior high 3 ; and high school 3 . Grades 1-9 compulsory .

[ErnBatavia]

Some of the Nippers didn't quite get their fill of beheading during World War II, it would appear. Maybe this guy's a holdover.