EDITORIAL: System for autopsies

More than 100,000 "unnatural" deaths occur in Japan each year. These are cases in which the individual did not die in a hospital. In this context, suicides are on the rise, as are deaths among senior citizens living alone.

A full autopsy is supposed to be conducted to determine the cause of each "unnatural" death. Yet, only about 10 percent of such cases are autopsied in Japan--a very low figure among industrialized nations.

There have been many cases of serious crimes or accidents being overlooked because only a cursory examination was undertaken into the cause of the death; for example, physical abuse at a sumo stable, parental child abuse and carbon monoxide poisoning from a defective gas heater.

To rectify this situation, the National Police Agency is taking the lead by setting up a panel to study the issue.

Deaths in unnatural circumstances are dealt with under two systems that are designed for entirely different missions--criminal justice and public health. When a person has died of unnatural causes, a police officer or a coroner is dispatched to conduct an external examination of the body. If the officer or the coroner suspects foul play, the body is sent to the forensic medicine department of a university for a judicial autopsy. But there are limits to making a judgment call of this nature.

If there is no suspicion of foul play, an administrative autopsy by a medical examiner, whose responsibilities include prevention of contagious diseases, can still be held. However, there are medical examiners in only five cities, one of which is Tokyo.

Because a criminal investigation takes precedence over ascertaining the cause of death, police tend to be less diligent with regard to the latter. Yet, despite their emphasis on criminal investigation, many crimes go undetected. The system is distorted and needs a radical going-over.

One good starting point may be found in a bill that was presented to the Diet three years ago by the Democratic Party of Japan when it was in opposition. The bill proposed that the responsibility of investigating the cause of death be left to the police, and that a bureau for that purpose be established within the National Police Agency. The bill also called for the establishment of a forensic sciences research center in the Cabinet Office to bolster the nation's judicial autopsy system. It proposed getting more forensic surgeons involved around the nation through collaboration between regional medical examiner's offices and forensic medicine departments of universities.

It is crucial to establish a system that clarifies responsibility and ensures that any investigation into the cause of a death be carried out independent of crime detection. Discussions need to cover a broad range of issues.

What is important is to make use of information, left by the deceased, for the safety and peace of mind among those who survive the individual. Delving into the various causes of death may unearth new dangers lurking in society and help prevent poisoning, the spread of contagious diseases, abuse and suicide. The Consumer Affairs Agency should be brought into the picture in cases involving accident prevention.

Except in cases involving privacy issues or a criminal investigation still in progress, information concerning the cause of death should be disclosed as much as possible. At present, even when a valuable lesson is learned from a judicial autopsy, the finding is usually withheld from the public for reasons of "investigative secrecy."

When a person's death is handled without due reverence, the people who suffer most are the bereaved family. These people must be treated with every kindness and consideration to help them deal with their grief.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 12