Free Loups-Garous by Natsuhiko Kyôgoku Page B

cup down on the desk and brought his right hand to his chin.
    â€œIf I had to identify the problem…In brief, there are no guidelines as to how we are to use this data we’re accumulating.”
    Obviously.
    That was because it was illegal.
    â€œHow to use it then?” he said.
    â€œUsing this data will produce terrible results. I think it’s a popular delusion fostered by people born in the twentieth century.”
    The policeman smiled weakly and pointed at his face. “You mean me.”
    Unable to confirm or deny, Shizue went on. “The data itself has no meaning. The data is nothing more than organized numbers and signs. No data has any meaning at all. If we find meaning in data it’s because the people using the data are determined to find meaning. The same information can be interpreted differently by different people. Various meanings can hence be derived from the same information. The question is which meaning will we adhere to, and then what shall we do with that information. Ultimately, the result is influenced by the people using it.”
    â€œYou say it would be used badly.”
    â€œI’m sure at the very least the police wouldn’t do anything bad with it.”
    Shizue was just being sarcastic, but Kunugi said with a completely straight face, “Of course.”
    â€œToday’s police force spends most of its time looking for criminal usage of data. Two-thirds of the entire police force is dedicated to protecting information exchange. As I’ve already made clear, I’m just a lug in this department, but this data we’re looking at—isn’t it just records on children? I can’t imagine how it could be misused.”
    â€œI can’t imagine anything but it being misused.”
    â€œYou’re suggesting the police would misuse it?”
    â€œThis isn’t just information about children’s lives. In this drive is contained information necessary for the mental care of minors. Information about their performance in classrooms, obviously home environment, likes, dislikes, hobbies, changes in habits, physical characteristics, exhaustive medical records, dream records…everything has been databased. That’s why there’s so much to be downloaded.”
    Kunugi looked beyond Shizue at the screen. She continued, “The police are going to try to suss out a suspect from this information.”
    â€œNo, they’re trying to create a profile of a hypothetical perpetrator…or that’s what they’re saying.”
    â€œThat’s even worse.”
    Kunugi turned his eyes from the monitor to Shizue. “Worse?”
    â€œYes. Let’s say, for example, there’s a question of psychic trauma. There are instances in which such psychic trauma can be a hindrance to a healthy social life. But to say it is the root of criminal behavior, to use it to explain criminal actions, is complete nonsense.”
    â€œHmmm, trauma was definitely a popular term in the past.”
    â€œIt still is. Obviously, reductionist explanations of patterns of human behavior have limitations. They’re close to superstition. So to say that if you suffered some kind of abuse as a child you will inflict abuse as an adult is—”
    â€œThat doesn’t happen?” Kunugi asked.
    â€œOf course it does. There are cases of it, but there are also cases where it doesn’t happen. Childhood abuse is of course of great concern to everyone, but there is no set pattern that leads to actual abuse. Sometimes an endearment results in abuse, other times, it’s just a communicated exchange that creates abusive stimuli.”
    â€œIsn’t that taking it a bit far?”
    â€œNo. Past interference is a problem, but the quality of the problem is different. There are those types of people who are perplexed by attempts at normative communication. Reaching out to these children will feel to them exactly like physical