crime

Kyoto Animation arson attack puts media at crossroads in divulging victims' names

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I could understand if a family member was killed or died in a compromising situation, for example dying in a pachinko parlor, or a love hotel, or rub and tug establishment. But these people were working for a legitimate company doing what they loved. Why the extreme worry about releasing their names?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Why the extreme worry about releasing their names?

How is protecting personal information "extreme worry"?

These people never chose to get murdered, and if their families don't want their names published, they don't have to have any reason. Privacy is and should be the default, not disclosure.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

What does publishing the name do to comfort the victims' families or in prosecuting the crime? If not, then not necessary. Just hurry up and bring the accused to justice. Try his arse in the hospital.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Japanese media refrained from excessive news coverage of bereaved family members in the Kyoto Animation Co arson attack

As an American, this is a rare sight. However, if people wanted to come together to hold a vigil, knowing the names would be good. However, I understand the want and respect of privacy for the family and public reminders could be even more painful. However, the victims of the arson attack have fans due to the nature of their work and there are many that want to remember them as well.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I understand the privacy argument and how scummy the press can be, but there are far more compelling reasons for requiring deaths to be a matter of public record. When a friend or neighbour disappears, there needs to be a mechanism which compels the government to disclose whether that person has been arrested, or whether they've turned up dead, whether a death certificate has been issued, or whether they've been institutionalized or deported. We cannot have a society where people are disappearing and the state knows what happened to them but has no obligation to disclose this information. This is the entire rationale behind Habeas Corpus in Anglo countries. It's there to prevent disappearances and abuses by the state.

Let's be honest, nobody actually thinks we should live in a society where a building goes up in flames and we never find out who was inside because of privacy laws. The only reason that some are sympathetic to the privacy argument is because they're already satisfied with the basic information they've been given about the fire and victims identities, but imagine if that wasn't the case. Imagine if this had been a restaurant or conference hall and we had no idea who had died or the motives for the arson. Imagine if there were some suspicion that the fire was politically motivated and the victims were government opponents. Would you be satisfied with the government claiming that the families don't want the information released? Of course not. Requiring deaths to be a matter of public record is a safeguard against this sort of abuse.

their families don't want their names published

How do you know? The families have obviously not been identified. There's no way to independently verify this. You are just being asked to take the government at its word. That's the dilemma here.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Why the extreme worry about releasing their names?

A better question would be why do you need to know their name ?

In what way is this information going to help you ?

Humanizing the accident !? I call bs! knowing the name of someone you have never met in your life won't change anything and if you can't see how horrible it is with just the number of deceased, imo it's very sad to be you.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

In the end the fact that a person has died becomes a matter of public record. It seems fair to allow families to have some privacy when a loved one dies. After a reasonable amount of time the names should be disclosed to the public in a respectful way. Sensationalizing a persons death serves no purpose. I believe knowing that someone has died and the reason is important to society. People need to know in order to be able to protect themselves and society. There seems to be a stigma about dying in Japan. People think it reflects badly on the family. Yet everyone dies. It's just better to be open and honest than try to keep secrets in these matters.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sensationalizing a persons death serves no purpose. I believe knowing that someone has died and the reason is important to society. People need to know in order to be able to protect themselves and society. 

I agree but I don' think this is the issue here, there's a big difference between someone looking into people's death or disapearance and just throwing out in the open to million's of persons someone's name after he died.

If people want to know they can look it up and ask government officials, it's not he media job to do so. Just my opinion though.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Akerusan

Did you read M3M3M3 ?

How can it hurt releasing names ?

It is public information.

Judtice comes with public information except if additional possible victims. That is not the case here hence no issue ever to publish names of victims.

If they prefer Internet to leak names in the shadow with all unverified stories, that is all but civilized.

Funny how individual rights in Japan are violated while alive (being guilty without judgment), and then respected once dead.

Sorry but fairness of justice is more important than some families'desire (that indeed no one knows if that is true anyway if kept hidden)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Honor and respect the victims' families' wishes and let them decide.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Names need to be released. This would be the case anywhere outside of Japan. Justice and the public trust is more important that someone's ego

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sf2kToday 12:54 pm JST

Names need to be released.

This would be the case anywhere outside of Japan.

Have you read the article ? It's clearly not the case.

Justice and the public trust is more important that

How is it serving Justice to publish victims names ?

someone's ego

Privacy is not about ego.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The public supported the victims when they were alive buying anime from the company. There might also be a public trial if the suspect stays alive long enough. The cost of the trial will be public purse. The costs of the investigation are also public purse. Enormous public donations exceeding more than ¥100 million.

Respect of the victim families but when the trial begins the names of the victims becomes public information. The media should be sensitive to the victim families but also publish a list of all the victims.

Are you suggesting that because justice is state founded the victim shall be offered to the public as compensation ? If someone dare to be be killed it should assume that ones life would be scrutinized, ones family could be harassed ? Does that apply to any crime ?

How do you know? The families have obviously not been identified.

The article is pretty clear about the fact that police, media and families know who the victim were. The question is not about should the name of victim be hidden by the government or not but should the name of victim be throw at the public eyes for to play with.

It's there to prevent disappearances and abuses by the state.

So putting information about people in media will prevent disappearances and abuse in a state which is the kind to make its people disappear ? This kind of state is already most likely to have put strict control over Internet and media, then be saying what they want and will not stop them to publish the name of disappearing people moreover if that is for political reason. They just have to make a pretty story with it like they are pursuing some training out of their free will or stuff like that.

I believe knowing that someone has died and the reason is important to society. People need to know in order to be able to protect themselves and society.

I do not really get how people will be more able to protect themselves and society by knowing that the one which died by being inside a building which was set on fire by someone was call Momo Tarou or Kiyo Hime.

The victim suffered already enough, they do not need to have their name show everywhere as some bone to please curious and, worse, bullies which will be so happy to have toy to play with.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I think they are keeping the names out of the news not out of respect but more because there is important info to be gleaned from who died. The investigation is not over according to local news in the city where the incident occured. When news of victims is reported in the US it's because they could have friends and family elsewhere that were not notified of the event. People could be using the dead persons name for nefarious purposes as longs as nobody knows they died. There historical record in the public view brings closure to the event. If they hid everything then what would happen if the dude got off and got away because nobody knew it happened but the locals?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If families wish to not have the names released by the media that is how it should be. If the media are releasing names against the wishes of the families of victims they should be charged under slander laws and paying compensation to the victims.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

South Korea's policy makes the most equitable sense. Believe the UK followed that too. If names of victims are kept secret, so to should the accused. Innocent until proven guilty means nothing if your mug is blasted on tv - you lose your job, your friends, etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Edit: believe UK had followed that in the past.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In this day and age when information travels at the speed of light, people in a democracy will find out anyway

Families may not disclose due to feeling shame or guilt or being hounded by the media, but the media too should act with some humanity and give the bereaved families enough space to recover

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Do the hustle

If families wish to not have the names released by the media that is how it should be. If the media are releasing names against the wishes of the families of victims they should be charged under slander laws and paying compensation to the victims.

Slander is "the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation."

In what sense would releasing the names against the wishes of the families be slander?

Unless the victims had made statements about the release of their names before they died, how could the police go against the wishes of the victims?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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