Fig. 5-3-2-1 shows the imprisonment terms for homicide and 9 types of violent offenses in ordinary first instances. Fig. 5-3-2-2 shows suspended execution rates of those offenses.
  As for the offenses excluding homicide, robbery and rape, the term of sentence has been getting longer for persons sentenced to imprisonment with or without suspension of execution of sentence, and suspended execution rates have been generally leveling off or rising.
  On the other hand, concerning homicide and robbery, the suspended execution rates have been generally leveling off, and the term of sentence for persons sentenced to imprisonment with suspension of execution of sentence has remained stable. However, for persons sentenced to imprisonment without suspension of execution of sentence, the term of sentence has been getting longer.

Fig. 5-3-2-1 Trends in imprisonment terms by type of offense in ordinary first instances (limited to district courts) (1979, 1984,1992-2001)

Fig. 5-3-2-2 Trends in suspended execution rate by type of offense in ordinary first instances (1992-2001)

  Regarding rape, the term of sentence has been getting longer for persons sentenced to imprisonment with or without suspension of execution of sentence, and the suspended execution rates have been decreasing. As for reasons behind this trend, it can be presumed that, as for sexual offenses, prosecutors came to demand more severe sentence and judges also came to decide each case more severely. This is because the public is likely to seek for imposing heavy sentence upon the offenders who committed sexual offenses, which might remarkably impair human rights of victims and cause serious damages to them bodily and mentally.
  Likewise, concerning breaking and entering and destruction of objects, of which statutory penalties are originally not heavy, the term of sentence has been slightly getting longer and an imprisonment term for more than 1 Year has increased. As for destruction of objects, the term of sentence has been getting remarkably longer, which was caused by a jump in the number of reported cases.