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A chief public prosecutor in central Japan on Wednesday apologized in person to an 88-year-old man who was acquitted in a retrial over a 1966 quadruple murder case, after spending more than four decades on death row.
"I am deeply sorry that you were placed in an uncertain legal status for a long time," Hideo Yamada, chief of the Shizuoka District Public Prosecutors Office told Iwao Hakamata during a visit to his house in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Yamada added that he had "accepted the acquittal and does not regard Mr Hakamata as the culprit."
Hakamata's 91-year-old sister, Hideko, was by his side as it has become difficult for him to communicate after his mental state deteriorated during decades of incarceration.
"Iwao and I both think it was fate. We are happy now that his acquittal is finalized," Hideko told Yamada.
Hakamata was arrested in 1966 and his death sentence was finalized in 1980. He was released in 2014 after new evidence raised doubts about his conviction and was acquitted in a retrial in September this year. The verdict was finalized with the prosecutor's decision not to appeal.
Hakamata was recognized as the world's longest-serving death row inmate.
The Shizuoka District Court said in the ruling that Hakamata was subjected to "physical and mental pain" during questioning and his statements confessing to the crime were "fabricated."
Takayoshi Tsuda, chief of the Shizuoka Prefectural Police also visited Hakamata's house in October to apologize, promising to "conduct more thorough and appropriate investigations in the future."
Hakamata was a former professional boxer and live-in employee at a miso maker when he was arrested for allegedly killing the firm's senior managing director, his wife and two of their children. They were found dead from stab wounds at their house in Shizuoka Prefecture, which had been burned down.
He was indicted for murder, robbery and arson.
© KYODO
18 Comments
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Daniel Neagari
To the editor... you may want to revise the Title of the article??
One might get the idea that this man was accused for killing 1966 people.
wallace
Can't give him back his lost years and mental health.
Jennie
Apology not accepted, go to hell.
WoodyLee
40 years in LIMBO not knowing when he will be Hanged, Electrocuted, Injected, or shot by death squads is a HORRIBLE experience even for the toughest human being, for Mr. Hakamata to even be able to face these people is an unbelievable courage and act of forgiveness, this REAL MAN will go down in Japan's history books as a HERO and nothing less..
tamanegi
To the editor....also "the man" mentioned in the headline has a name, Iwao Hakamata. I thought it a bit disrespectful to not name Hakamata-san in the headline after 58 years in the public spotlight.
Namorada
I would not tolerate a prosecutor appearing in my house. Their incompetence and desire to close the case cost the man decades of his life.
The people who came to the wrong conclusion should be locked up for an equivalent amount of time.
John
I hope he's getting massive compensation.
nandakandamanda
Hakamada Iwao was acquitted, thank goodness, but was he actually found 'innocent', i.e. 'not guilty'.
Alongfortheride
Acquitted means there is no case for him to answer to. So not possible to be found not guilty.
WiseOneIn Kansai
Compensation is paid to defendants acquitted after a retrial based on the number of days detained. There is maximum of ￥12,500 per day.
Mr. Hakamata spent 47 years and 7 months on death row.
17,365 days X ￥12,500 per day = ￥217,062,500 (rough estimate)
Mr. Hakamata could also file lawsuits against the national and prefectural governments seeking damages for emotional distress.
So much credit to Mr. Hakamata's 91 year old sister, Hideko, she has supported her brother since the beginning!!
sakurasuki
After more than half of century of his life being lost while worrying when his last day, all he got just a bow. That's Japan.
.
They still try to prosecute him September this year, however thanks to public attention where his case being national news from day to day. Finally in October they dropped the case and choose not to appeal.
Their winning rate it's not 99.9% anymore but somehow they accept.
https://www.npr.org/2024/09/26/g-s1-24624/japanese-court-acquits-a-man-in-a-1966-murder-retrial
wallace
Hakamata and his sister will pass away before any compensation is paid.
DanteKH
Where did you get the 40 years number?? As article said, he was wrongly arrested from 1966, therefore until this year, he was a wrongly accused prisoner for 58 years!!
How come there is no more media coverage of this? What is the compensation given to this guy for 58 years worth of wrongly imprisonment??
Aoi Azuuri
On the other hand, shameless authoritarianism attorney general remains to deny even judgment that this case was clearly false-accusation involving fabricating evidences.
WiseOneIn Kansai
Why don't you read the first paragraph of the article again?? As article said, he spent more than 4 decades on death row, NOT 58 years!! He was released in March 2014 when he was granted a retrial.
Put in some elbow grease and you can find out more on Wiki!!
David Brent
I would be sure to publicly humiliate this sniveling toad in front of the cameras. Too bad Hakamata’s brain is jelly now, and he doesn’t even know what’s what.
daito_hak
What a disgusting hypocrite. The Japanese justice system the way it is has ruined the entire life of this man. His entire life. Apologies will never give his life back and they are moreover disgusting since he is only doing this to save face. This is just for show and fake. Disgusting.
Gaijinjland
The US justice system isn’t much better, if you’re talking about wrongfully accused. If you can’t afford a good lawyer who can spin the law, you’re screwed. At least the wrongfully accused in the US, who are acquitted, who spent decades in prison get a pay out from the city and/ or state in the tens of millions (dollars).
BertieWooster
Evidence was falsified. This has been admitted. So why haven't the police who falsified the evidence been called to justice? Their names MUST be on the records.