Juvenile crimes stem from a society adults created, and changing laws to merely impose a stricter punishment on young offenders will not get to the root of the problem, according to a former family court examiner.
"Criminal actions require a lot of energy, and it's a pity that some kids had to use that power for such behavior," said Ayahiko Terao, 60, who retired at the end of March from the Yokohama Family Court's Odawara branch.
"For most of them, this is the only way they can become the center of attention," he said.