Passenger of drunken driver in fatal accident gets suspended prison term

Wednesday 25th February, 05:54 AM JST

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11 Comments

outofmydepth at 07:41 AM JST - 25th February

yes, yes, yes. a law with NO TEETH. what kind of message does this send? if japan wants to pass these (in this case drunk driving) laws they should certainly enforce them. for shame!!!!
borscht at 08:27 AM JST - 25th February

It isn't the enforcement you should complain about but the penalty handed down by the court.

The police enforced the law: Sasaki was arrested. And both the Sendai court and the Sendai high court found him guilty. The difference was the penalty -- money or no time in prison.
outofmydepth at 08:48 AM JST - 25th February

maybe i am mistaken but i think the courts are a part of the process of enforcing the laws. it would be - oh i don`t know - the final phase of the enforcement.
soldave at 08:56 AM JST - 25th February

Good to see this strict new law is being withheld in the courts. A bit of a joke really.
pawatan at 10:28 AM JST - 25th February

yes, yes, yes. a law with NO TEETH. what kind of message does this send?

Um, the DRIVER is serving a 20-year prison term. This cat wasn't driving. He didn't force the driver to drive.
outofmydepth at 12:48 PM JST - 25th February

pawatan - you had better check out the new laws if you live in japan. otherwise you may be in for a great surprise even if you are a passenger in a car of a drunken driver.
Stonefish at 03:27 PM JST - 25th February

Yeah he got a suspended sentence. That'll keep him on good behaviour for the next 5 years - else he`ll be locked up. It is probably a pretty effective punishment really.

But if they want to make a difference they should be looking at breathalisers and advertising. That's where the "law" lacks teeth.

Everyone thinks they wont get caught. But in Japan you're much more justified in thinking this.
Disillusioned at 03:52 PM JST - 25th February

The police enforced the law: Sasaki was arrested.

NO! NO! NO! - If the law was enforced this would never have happened. Too many people drink and drive in Japan simply because the chance of them actually encountering a police officer who is in the least bit interested or prepared to give a legitimate breath test are nearly zero. And, I don't mean the cop leaning in the window of your car and asking you to breath in his face. A real random breath test! Japanese police do not have a presence. Some people fear the penalties, but very few fear a police encounter.
BBLeo at 06:44 PM JST - 25th February

If anyone is boozing stop now and drink milk instead. How can you ask drunken friend to take you home? This is stupidity and without sensibility. People must start to getting awareness what alcohol does to you, and to make it more clearly it is 'creation of victims.' Sure police is enforcing the law, but courts are demolishing efforts against crimes with suspended sentences.
elbudamexicano at 08:54 PM JST - 25th February

Both of these fools( drunk bastards) should rot in hell. RIP young dead high school students. I feel so sorry for these kids and their families!
Kameleon at 03:07 PM JST - 26th February

I have to agree with elbudamexicano.

Me and my friends TELL our intoxicated friends who drive to take a taxi or stay overnight till the morning. We take responsibility for the person who cannot. I personally think the passenger should have received as much sentence, if not more than the driver - because he was the one that instigated this, and his idiotic friend followed suit. They both should be severely punished for their terrible crime.

Yet another reason I am against alchohol... It literally kills people.