Section 2  Disposition of Juvenile Cases by Public Prosecutors Offices and Courts

1 Disposition by public prosecutors offices

(1) Cases received
  The total number of juvenile offenders newly received by public prosecutors offices in 2007 was 180,662 (the juvenile rate: 9.5%). Those for penal code offenses were 143,560 (12.4% (id.)) and those for special act offenses were 37,102 (5.0% (id.)). Among penal code offenses, 112,427 (32.5% (id.)) were for non-traffic penal code offenses and the remnants of 31,133 (3.9% (id.)) were for negligence in vehicle driving, etc. Among special act offenses, 3,726 (3.1% (id.)) were for special act offenses excluding violations of road traffic related acts (Source: Annual Report of Statistics on Prosecution).
  Fig. 4-2-2-1 shows the number of juvenile offenders aged 14–19 newly received by public prosecutors offices (excluding those for negligence in vehicle driving, etc. and violations of road traffic related acts) since 1975, by age group.
  The number of junior juveniles had been larger than that of other age groups since 1979, but intermediate juveniles have been the largest in number after surpassing junior juveniles since 1990.

Fig. 4-2-2-1  Number of juvenile offenders newly received by public prosecutors offices by age group (1975–2007)

  Looking at the age group distribution of juvenile offenders newly received by public prosecutors offices in 2007 by type of offense, the junior juveniles formed a high percentage for injury and theft, the intermediate juveniles formed a high percentage for extortion, theft, and robbery, and the senior juveniles formed a high percentage for homicide, negligence in vehicle driving, etc., violations of road traffic related acts, Stimulants Control Act violations, and robbery (see Appendix 4-8).
(2) Referral to family courts
  A public prosecutor can attach his/her opinion about the treatment of the juvenile when he/she refers a juvenile case to a family court (see Appendix 4-9 for opinions attached by public prosecutors for juveniles suitable for prosecution, commitment to a juvenile training schools, or probationary supervision).
(3) Disposition of cases referred by family courts
  Table 4-2-2-2 shows the number of juveniles disposed by public prosecutors for those referred to public prosecutors by family courts in 2007, by type of offense.
  The percentage of those who were brought to indictment to the total prosecuted juveniles was rather low at 10.3% (404 juveniles). This was because the percentage of those who were brought to indictment was extremely low at 1.5% (51 juveniles) among those prosecuted for violations of road traffic related acts, which accounted for about 90% of the total prosecuted juveniles. The percentage of those who were brought to indictment for offenses other than violations of road traffic related acts was 69.1% (353 juveniles) to the total (511 juveniles), and 69.9% (321 juveniles) to the total penal code offenders (459 juveniles) and 61.5% (32 juveniles) to total special act offenders (52 juveniles).

Table 4-2-2-2  Number of juveniles referred to and disposed by public prosecutors, by type of offense (2007)