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 White paper on crime 2009 Part4/Chapter2/Section2/1 

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

1 Public prosecutors offices (until referral to family courts)

(1) Received cases

  In 2008 the number of juvenile offenders newly received by public prosecutors offices was 158,358 (juvenile rate of 9.3%), that for penal code offenses was 127,555 (12.0% (id.)), and that for special act offenses was 30,803 (4.8% (id.)). By type of penal code offense, non-traffic penal code offenses accounted for 100,846 (31.4% (id.)) and negligence in vehicle driving causing death or injury, etc. accounted for 26,709 (3.6% (id.)). Special act offenses excluding violations of road traffic related acts totaled 3,188 (2.9% (id.)) (Source: Annual Report of Statistics on Prosecution).
  Fig. 4-2-2-1 shows the number of juvenile offenders received (limited to non-traffic penal code offenses and special act offenses excluding violations of road traffic related acts) and rate per population by age group from 1975.
  Intermediate juveniles surpassed the number of junior juveniles in 1990 and subsequently both the number and the rate per population of intermediated juveniles have remained the highest.

Fig. 4-2-2-1  Number of juvenile offenders newly received by public prosecutors offices and rate per population by age group (1975–2008)

  Examining the percent distribution of juvenile offenders newly received by public prosecutors offices in 2008 by age group and type of offense revealed junior juveniles to have been the largest in number for injury, intermediate juveniles for extortion, and senior juveniles for robbery, negligence in vehicle driving causing death or injury, etc., violations of road traffic related acts, and Stimulants Control Act violations. In addition, junior juveniles and intermediate juveniles had high proportions for theft and senior juveniles for homicide (See Appendix 4-8).

(2) Referral to family courts

  Public prosecutors may attach their opinions on the treatment of the juveniles when they refer juvenile cases to family courts. See Appendix 4-9 for the status of those opinions.