In view of recent crime trends, measures to prevent the repetition of crimes have become an issue. What especially needs to be addressed is how to prevent the same people from repeating sex crimes. In November, the public was alarmed by the kidnapping and murder of a 7-year-old girl in the city of Nara.

The suspect in the case, Kaoru Kobayashi, 36, was found to have had prior sex-crime convictions. After graduating from high school, he had been given a suspended sentence for committing an indecent sexual assault on a girl. Later he was convicted of a similar crime and served a prison term.

During a trial hearing in the Nara case, he was asked whether he had resolved, when he was released from prison, not to repeat the crime for which he had been convicted. The man replied, "At that time, I did not think so."