The Nara District Court on April 15 gave a suspended sentence to a Kyoto psychiatrist for leaking investigation records as well as the content of a psychiatric test concerning a then 16-year-old boy to a freelance journalist. The boy, who was eventually sent to a reformatory, had torched his house in Tawaramoto, Nara Prefecture, in June 2006. His stepmother and two siblings died in the fire.
In a rare move, the prosecution charged Dr. Morimitsu Sakihama with divulging confidential information. The ruling, which deals with a Penal Code provision prohibiting lawyers, doctors and religious workers from leaking confidential information, is the first of its kind since 1978, when relevant data first became available.
Dr. Sakihama, who was approached by Ms. Atsuko Kusanagi, a freelance journalist, told the court that he wanted the public to know that the boy did not have murderous intent but was suffering from a pervasive developmental disorder that hampers communication and social skills. On Oct. 5, 2006, without Dr. Sakihama's knowledge, Ms. Kusanagi and staff of Kodansha Ltd. took digital photos of the material he had shown. In May 2007, a book written by Ms. Kusanagi was published by Kodansha.