This is more a legal question than a culture question. Been watching "Innocent Days" and in the second episode two middle school girls are in a bookstore and one of the girls gets caught trying to take money out of the cash register. The old lady running the store catches her but she knocks down the old lady and beats her unconscious. While they're standing there the other girl that didn't do anything tells the girl that did to run away and she will take the heat because she's only 13, the other girl is 14 and as a 13 year old she won't get punished as much.
Is that really a law in Japan? Or did they just make it up for the drama.