The suspected involvement of three teenagers in the death of a 13-year-old boy in Kawasaki is fueling debate about the anonymity granted to minors in cases of this kind.
The suspects' names, photos, addresses and even phone numbers are widely available online and the law is apparently unable to do anything about it.
While some people call it freedom of expression, what is happening on social media is tantamount to the lynching of the suspects and their families based on unconfirmed information, said Takehisa Hamada, an Osaka lawyer who specializes in the Juvenile Law.