Japan May Toughen Penalty For Cyberbullying - Justice Minister

Japan May Toughen Penalty for Cyberbullying - Justice Minister

The Japanese authorities may toughen the punishment for cyberbullying up to a one year imprisonment, Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa said on Tuesday

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2021) The Japanese authorities may toughen the punishment for cyberbullying up to a one year imprisonment, Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa said on Tuesday.

"Online insults provoke similar posts one after another, which can lead to irreversible human rights violations... As we see growing criticism against online abuse, we need to designate the act as a crime to be seriously dealt with and curb it," Kamikawa stated, as cited by Kyodo.

The minister added she would ask her advisory panel to look into the possibility of extending the imprisonment for cyberbullying up to a year and increasing the fine up to $2,750. At present, the penalty for online insults is detention for less than 30 days or a fine of under $97.

The wave of discontent with cyberbullying was triggered by the suicide of Hana Kimura, 22, a professional wrestler and cast member of the popular Netflix reality show "Terrace House" in May 2020 after she received hundreds of hateful comments on social media.