So weird how the author (who may or may not represent Japanese thinking) seems to place more concern on whether the family will break up than whether a criminal goes unpunished and is free to violate people again.
Also, I find it hard to buy this solution to the story. Outside the two weak examples Zero gave, nothing the President did seemed inconsistent with a person genuinely searching for a hidden location for the first time. My money was on Sawako, the daughter, though I could have imagined several other characters fitting the bill too.