児童ポルノ 与野党で法案の一本化を急げ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 21, 2009)
Anti-child porn bills should be unified
児童ポルノ　与野党で法案の一本化を急げ（6月21日付・読売社説）

Diet deliberations on a bill to revise the law punishing acts related to child prostitution and child pornography have been delayed.
　児童買春・児童ポルノ禁止法改正案の国会審議が遅れている。

The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito last June submitted to the Diet a revised bill that would prohibit the possession of child pornography and punish violators, even if they do not sell such images. But since then, no substantive discussions on the issue have been held at the Diet. The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan also presented its own bill to revise the law during the current Diet session.
　児童ポルノを私的に利用する「単純所持」禁止を盛り込んだ自民、公明の与党案は、昨年６月の提出以来、実質的な審議はなく、今国会には民主党案も提出された。

There is little to tell between both bills, which are intended to strengthen regulations protecting children from sexual abuse. The ruling and opposition parties should make efforts to quickly pass a revised bill into law, such as by unifying their respective bills.
　両案は、子供たちを性的虐待から守るための規制強化では一致しており、大きな隔たりはない。法案を一本化するなどして、早期の成立を図るべきだ。

Under the current law, the possession of child pornography for the purpose of offering it to others for profit or without charge is illegal.
　現行法は、児童ポルノを他人に有償無償を含め提供する目的で所持することなどを禁じている。

When the law was enacted in 1999, prohibiting the possession of child pornography and punishing violators, even if they do not sell such images, was discussed. But eventually, such a provision was shelved on the ground that it would encroach on personal preferences and could violate privacy rights.
　単純所持禁止は、１０年前の法制定の際にも検討されたが、個人の嗜好(しこう)やプライバシーの侵害につながるなどとして見送られた。

However, with the spread of the Internet, child pornography has been rapidly proliferating. Under the current circumstances, in which the possession of child pornography is not prohibited as long as the holder does not proliferate such images, it is difficult to charge providers of child pornography in many cases, even if police confiscate their personal computers.
　しかし、インターネットの普及で児童ポルノの拡散は急速に進んでいる。単純所持が禁止されていない場合、警察がパソコンを押収しても、児童ポルノ提供者を摘発するのは難しい場合が多い。

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International probes stymied

Among the Group of Eight countries, Japan and Russia are the only two nations that do not criminalize the possession of child pornography if the holders do not sell such images. The fact that Japan allows the possession of child pornography hampers international police investigations into child pornography.
　主要８か国（Ｇ８）で単純所持を禁止していないのは、日本とロシアだけだ。日本が単純所持を容認していることが、国際捜査協力の支障となっている。

The revised bill drafted by ruling parties would prohibit the possession of child pornography for "indecent purposes" and would penalize violators if they possessed such images for the purpose of "satisfying their sexual curiosity."
　与党案は、児童ポルノを「みだりに」所持することを禁止し、「性的好奇心を満たす目的」で所持した場合に限り罰則を設けた。

Meanwhile, the DPJ's bill would make it a crime to obtain child pornography by paying for it or to obtain it repeatedly, imposing a heavier penalty than the ruling parties' bill.
　民主党案は、代金を払うか、繰り返して取得することを禁じた取得罪を設け、与党案の単純所持罪より重い罰則を設けた。

It should not be so difficult to find common ground between the two bills.
　一致点を見いだすことは、それほど難しくないはずだ。

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ISPs have key role to play

To strengthen controls on child pornography, cooperation by organizations in the private sector, such as Internet service providers, is indispensable.
　児童ポルノの規制を進めていくためには、ネット事業者など民間団体の協力も欠かせない。

The National Police Agency has launched a liaison council with private sector ISPs with the aim of cracking down on online child pornography by persuading the ISPs to install blocking software that prevents access to illegal Web sites. The council will discuss the technical issues involved.
　警察庁は、プロバイダーが違法なサイトへの接続を遮断する「ブロッキング」制度の導入に向け、ネット事業者らと児童ポルノ流通防止協議会を発足させた。今後、技術面などの検討が行われる。

An increasing number of countries, including the United States and European nations, have imposed regulations on comics, anime and other materials that contain material that could be construed as child pornography.
　児童ポルノに類したマンガやアニメなどについても、欧米では規制する国が増えている。

Recently, a Japanese-produced personal computer game featuring the rape of three women, including two girls, who are made pregnant and then forced to abort, was circulated worldwide and was condemned by the British Parliament and others.
　最近は、少女らをレイプして妊娠・中絶させる過程を疑似体験する日本製パソコンゲームソフトが国際的に出回り、英国議会などで批判された。

In response to such protests, industry organizations decided to prohibit the production and sales of game software featuring sexual violence.
　この問題を受けて業界団体は、性暴力を扱うゲームソフトの製造販売を禁止することを決めた。

In the bill drafted by the ruling parties, regulations on the usage of child pornography in game software is included as a subject to be examined in the future. It is an issue that should be actively discussed in terms of protecting children from child pornography, while respecting freedom of expression.
　児童ポルノのゲームなどに対する規制も、与党案は今後の検討課題として盛り込んでいる。「表現の自由」とのかねあいもあるが、児童保護の観点から積極的に議論すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 21, 2009)
（2009年6月21日01時43分 読売新聞）