Record high 85% of Japanese in favor of death penalty: survey+

TOKYO, Feb. 6 Kyodo -
The percentage of Japanese people in favor of the death penalty has reached a
record high, with 85.6 percent of survey respondents saying the continuance of
capital punishment is ''unavoidable,'' according to a government poll released
Saturday.
The highest percentage marked since the government began taking the poll in
1994 reflects the spread of public opinion seeking strict punishments for
heinous crimes following a recent spate of such incidents, including a stabbing
rampage in Tokyo's Akihabara district in 2008.
On the extension of the statute of limitations for capital crimes such as
murder to 25 years from 15 years in 2005 under the revised Code of Criminal
Procedure, 54.9 percent of respondents to the survey conducted last year said
the period is ''too short.''
Of those who said the period is too short, 49.3 percent said the statute of
limitations should be abolished, according to the survey, conducted every five
years.
The proportion of people in favor of the death penalty rose by 4.2 percentage
points from the previous survey in 2004, showing that the number of such people
has been on an increasing trend since posting 73.8 percent in the first survey.
Only 5.7 percent said the death penalty should be abolished, down 0.3 point
from the 2004 poll.
In expressing their preference for execution, 54.1 percent said the feelings of
victims and their families would not be satisfied if the death penalty is
abolished, while 53.2 percent said perpetrators of heinous crimes should pay
for their crimes with their lives.
In addition, 51.5 percent said they believe the number of atrocious crimes
would increase if the death penalty is abolished.
Of the respondents who said execution should be abolished, 55.9 percent said
the perpetrators should be kept alive to pay for their crimes, while 43.2
percent said it would be irrevocable if an accused person was in fact innocent.
On the statute of limitations, 10.0 percent said the period of 25 years is
''too long.''
Of those who said the period is ''too short,'' 79.8 percent said it is ''wrong
that perpetrators would not be punished because of the passage of time.''
In a related development, an advisory body to the justice minister proposed in
January the abolition of the statute of limitations for crimes whose maximum
penalty is the death sentence.
The Legislative Council will report its proposals to the justice minister in
the near term, and a bill to revise the criminal procedure code is expected to
be submitted to the ongoing Diet session.
For the latest survey, the Cabinet Office polled 3,000 men and women aged 20 or
older nationwide in November to December last year, receiving valid responses
from 64.8 percent.
The respondents were allowed to give multiple answers to why they are in favor
of the death penalty, seek the abolition of capital punishment and think the
period of the statute of limitation for capital crimes is too short.
==Kyodo