Death penalty sought again in retrial of 88-year-old man acquitted of 1966 murders

44 years in jail and the guy is 88 years old, just let him live the rest of his life. Why are they wasting resources?

Nobody in Japan sees any cruelty on having a man more than 40 years in a death row?

Justice should have no expiry date. Four people, including two kids, were brutally murdered

And they've spent half a century torturing an innocent man, while the real culprit has lived freely, and will probably never be known.

Putting this man to death will serve or accomplish NOTHING, he has served his sentence.

Prosecutors case is weak.

The primary evidence - the blood stained clothing with stark red stains and material still light after 1 year in a miso tank - is obviously fabricated. Just looking again at the clothing on news last night, science will support the defense claim that this is all nonsense.

And the articles are way, way oversize for a man of Hakamada's build.

In fact, if this matter wasn't so serious - the incarceration and hanging of a man - then you'd be inclined to believe it's a somewhat dark Monty Python clip.

Just give it up prosecutors and humbly admit that the police/judiciary of 2 generations ago not only got it wrong - but did wrong.

To blindly follow some broken allegiance to "the cause" is a blot on the sensibilities of all.

46 years on death row for me would be far worse than a quick death. The problem with the death penalty is that if even one innocent person is put to death that is too many. Life in prison, especially in the US is far from a civilized way to live.

Shameful act of injustice which the justice ministers knew and never signed his execution order in 44 years. If he was so guilty why wasn't he executed?

Even if guilty he served 46 years mostly is solitary! He's done his time...move on!

This sounds very much like the prosecutors wanting to save face. There is no way they have found new evidence after such a long time.

Prosecutors are only seeking the death penalty "as a matter of course"

I think this has the ring of truth. It's probably easier for the prosecutors to fight and lose rather than admit they failed all these years. Let's hope so.

For heaven's sake, leave him alone.

So we have here the case of a boxer who first denied and later confessed vs possible interrogation brutality and non-fitting pieces of evidence, right? That case bears many doubtful elements on both sides so it just isn't solvable at all and that's also why the old rule in jurisdiction has then to be applied, that when in any doubts then the verdict should be in favor of the accused person. That means, the case is very unclear, but the only possible verdict of letting him free is very clear.

11 hours less than they gave their victims!

Hakamada is the victim. Did you not read the article? Jesus.

46yrs on death row, and he is now 88yrs old. It woud seem a lot of the so-called evidence was very dubious to start with, but then, followed by his brutal time whilst being investigated, I think most most if not all people will admit their guilt after so much brutality by the police doing the initial investigation, and probably most of them are not with us now. I think this is clearly a case of the prosecutors office not wanting to admit they were wrong and lose face. Almost unbelievable, let him go and move on.

The statute of limitations for murder was 25 years but some years ago it was abolished.

The psychopathology of humans who are able to fit themselves as square pegs into the round rabbit holes of officialdom where admitting mistakes, not to speak of crimes, saying sorry, paying out compensation and, horror of horrors, facing accountability and going to jail themselves for lying, cover-ups and criminal conduct, is a universal "phenomenon" and a problem that not even democratic systems of government have been able to fix. Hakamada Iwao's calvary is a monument to injustice and inhumanity that will surprise no adult who has ever opened and looked inside the black book of our species' history.

I wonder who this serves? The public? The police chief who surely has been dead for decades, that arrested him? The family of the victims? The reputation of the prosecutors office which is already seen as shady and incompetent? Who?

Youd think they would work hard to present definitive proof if they are doing this. They are just embarrassed they will get caught barely doing their jobs and trying to save face even 45 years later.

The conviction was originally based on “the front door was broken, it had to be a strong person… the only strong person I can think of is a local amateur boxer…. He did it… I guess” with police work like this we are all surely safe in this country

46 years??? No one here thinks he's been rehabilitated? Does this man stab everyone he comes into contact with? I get it. Social media wants to be judge, jury and executioner, but this is UNSAT.

We may not socially accept O.J, Weinstein, R.Kelly, Manson and P Diddy and hopefully they all will do or did their time, but we cannot lock them up forever. If you are not going to follow through with capital punishment, then at some point, you have to let them out. Period.

88 years old? Nobody knows this guy. Doesn't Japan have double jeopardy laws?

What astounds me, is that Japanese judges seem so weak and feeble, in that they just kowtow to the prosecutors demands.

“people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution.”

Would you rather be informed of your execution a few days or even weeks before? Think of the long agonizing time you’d have till your execution's day.

Are there no statutes of limitations in Japan?

Death penalty sought again in retrial of 88-year-old man acquitted of 1966 murders

"acquitted" Prosecutors keep using that word but I don't think they understand what it means.

First, for most who do not know that when police interrogate a person in Japan does not get a lawyer present and the interrogation way back when must have been more brutal due to the laws of the time. If a Court overturned his conviction, which is very rare, there must have been very strong evidence this man didn't do it.

The fact this case is permitted back in the Courtroom shows that laws are so poor in some instances, and they need to be overhauled.

Typo above…not 86, it should be 88! Which makes my thoughts about his innocence even greater!

Mr KiplingToday 07:38 am JST

Not only that, people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution.

11 hours less than they gave their victims!

Their victims didn't know the state was coming for them 24x7.

MeiyouwentiToday 07:49 am JST

“people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution.”

Would you rather be informed of your execution a few days or even weeks before? Think of the long agonizing time you’d have till your execution's day.

Pales in comparison to the years you will have until it is announced to live without fear. At a minimum it should be left up to the prisoner what they want to know.

This is not a comment for the content of the article... is about how the headline is written....

Either puctuation or rephrasing should have been used... the header can give you the wrong idea that Mr. Hakamada is accused (was accused?) of 1966 murders, that is that he killed 1966 persons... that confusion is real.

admit that the police/judiciary of 2 generations ago not only got it wrong - but did wrong.

Sadly, those police/judiciary are now today's prosecutors bosses. Imagine telling your boss this in Japan. LOL

I'm not really versed in Japanese law, but does "double jeopardy" exist? If so, wouldn't double jeopardy apply here?

Perhaps the prosecutors should be charged with incompetence or just being stupid!

Sorry, he served 46 years already in a place not fit for animals. he was released in 2014, and NOW they want to retry the case??? what is wrong with this picture??

Some people who commit murders in Japan get less than 10 years even as the evidence is clear. In this case the evidence seem dodgy and as it is the case cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt so guilty or innocent the man has spent 44 years on death row. It’s about time to let him go to live out his remaining few months or years freely.

This is just my personal view but at 86, I don’t think a guilty person will try to claim innocence after been in prison on death row for 44 years! At 86, people usually have nothing to lie about as they are living on borrowed time! I think he was innocent from the beginning.

Life in prison, especially in the US is far from a civilized way to live.

Sounds appropriate, then, given that prison is populated by people who have chosen not to live in a civilized way.

It's for people who have chosen to kill, rape, assault, steal, peddle drugs, and other beastly uncivilized acts.

Maybe, just maybe, the way to avoid going to such an uncivilized place is ... to avoid committing any uncivilized acts that land people there.

In other words, don't be a criminal.

Are we still allowed to say that in this emotion-saturated, excessively bleeding-heart society of ours these days?

Angus McGillicuddy Today  07:58 am JST

Hakamada is the victim. Did you not read the article?

The four murdered family members aren't victims?

If you're dead and your death is ruled a homicide ... you're a victim.

I'm a bit curious as to why you don't seem to be thinking at all about them.

Angus McGillicuddyToday  08:00 am JST

And they've spent half a century torturing an innocent man, 

We don't know that he's innocent. He was found guilty once, and the prosecution insists he will be found guilty again.

Let's see what the court decides. Allowing your emotions to run riot about this is no way to go about it logically or critically.

As of December, there were 107 prisoners on death row in Japan, where the sentences are always carried out by hanging.

Inmates are often informed of their impending death at the last minute, typically in the early morning just a few hours beforehand.

That is the real punishment, living in prison 20 years or more, believing every day could be the last one..

Blood stains ? What about DNA result ? The article does not say.

The answer is right under our feet

There was a BBC doc on this recently. His poor sister has fought for his freedom the whole time, and now this!

Insane cruelty of an individual.

The man's treatment caused him to become mentally disabled - he can't even put on his shows himself.

Waste of our money to preserve stupid japanese "justice" image or just the way to avoid to pay indemnitees for the 46 years lost.

Japanese shameful prosecutors are so "bullish" attitude against general citizen as even persistently sought death penalty despite fabricating evidences, but so timid to ruling party politicians who had repeated unjust fundraising as don't even arrest most of LDP plutocrats.

TaiwanIsNotChina Today  03:04 pm JST

At a minimum it should be left up to the prisoner what they want to know.

Just like the prisoners/murderers allow their victims?

Hakamada is the victim. Did you not read the article? Jesus.

The poster was referring to general death sentence prisoners. Those who get executed. Can you not follow a thread?

people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution

That's approximately 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 37 seconds longer notice than they typically give their victims.

Prosecutors are only seeking the death penalty "as a matter of course" and "the defense team's rebuttal was so strong that I'm sure we'll be able to win," she told reporters.

Your tax yen at work as hangmen judges and prosecutors must doggedly preserve the image of Japanese prosecutorial infallibility.

If only prosecutors had been as dogged in their recent pursuit of politicians, eh? It's a two-tier system. That is starkly clear now.

Not only that, people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution.

11 hours less than they gave their victims!

gokai_wo_manekuToday  01:16 pm JST

Are there no statutes of limitations in Japan?

There are but isn't that only if a suspect has not been found?

Justice should have no expiry date. Four people, including two kids, were brutally murdered

"And they've spent half a century torturing an innocent man, while the real culprit has lived freely, and will probably never be known."

Apparently someone on this thread was there at the scene...

Quo PrimumToday  04:07 pm JST

people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution

That's approximately 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 37 seconds longer notice than they typically give their victims.

I think humanity is moving beyond retributivism because it only serves the animalistic desire for revenge and does not help anybody, including the victims and their families.

Retributivism perpetuates cycles of violence, fails to rehabilitate offenders, and doesn't address the underlying causes of criminal behaviour.

prosecutors again sought the death penalty in the retrial on Wednesday of an ex-boxer who was the world's longest-serving death row prisoner until his release in 2014

Japan has 99% conviction rate, that remaining 1% is really unwanted, that's why they fight back to get the number 100%. It doesn't matter if doing retrial for a person that already acquitted. That's how tax payer money being used in Japan, prosecuting innocent person.

https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c05401/order-in-the-court-explaining-japan%E2%80%99s-99-9-conviction-rate.html

If guilty, must pay..

Nobody in Japan sees any cruelty on having a man more than 40 years in a death row?

Not only that, people who are in death row, no matter guilty or innocent, will only have 11 hours notice to execution.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/05/japan-death-row-inmates-sue-over-same-day-notification-of-execution-report