crime

Osaka Prefectural Police neglected investigating 2,300 cases, including homicides

30 Comments

Osaka Prefectural Police have neglected the investigation of 2,300 criminal cases, including 10 homicides, as a result of sloppy administrative procedures, a recently released probe reveals.

The probe reveals that over 8,000 pieces of evidence, including articles left at the crime scene and investigative documents related to all cases, have been stored without being processed to public prosecutors.

Ten of the 2,300 cases were homicides, while others included theft, fraud and robbery.

The probe was initiated after the discovery in 2012 that documents for an assault case had been improperly stored at the Habikino police station in Osaka, a case that at the time drew significant public and media criticism. As a result of public pressure, the prefectural police studied all police stations within Osaka, finding that evidence was improperly handled in 61 of all 65 police stations.

The investigation further reveals that the statute of limitations has expired for all the cases.

Among the crimes is the 1991 cold case of a woman who was murdered in her house in Izumisano, Osaka, in an apparent robbery-homicide, after police found that her bank book was missing from the crime scene. Though the case’s statute of limitations has already expired, procedures to complete the expiration had not been filed, Sankei Shimbun reports.

“Document filing and evidence processing was very poorly handled in the old days,” says Hiroshi Kadowaki, a former Osaka Police Department official. “Handover procedures were often neglected, leading to a situation when important evidence would simply get forgotten.”

Osaka Prefectural Police officials commented on the recent findings, saying that the department is taking steps to prevent a recurrence by enforcing double-checks and other policies.

© JAPAN TODAY

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

30 Comments
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Given that J police, especially in the old days, appear to have relied on confessions, forced or otherwise, it isn't really very surprising that they didn't bother investigating properly...

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Give me back my tax yens. Appears we're paying incompetents to let others get away with fraud, robbery, theft and murder.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

Well, well those of us who had been saying as much all along were called Japan bashers, cop haters, bigots, and worse.

So here it is proof of what we knew all along if it isn't sitting on their backsides and swilling green tea, harassing bicyclists J-cops are useless. There would be better results if prefectures outsourced the cop work to private security firms.

But no surprize as FORCED confessions are the standard J-cop tactic.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Osaka Prefectural Police have NEGLECTED THE INVESTIGATION of 2,300 criminal cases... The investigation further reveals that the STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS has EXPIRED for all the cases.

Japan is a law-abiding country with a low crime-rate!!

9 ( +14 / -5 )

No wonder the crime rate is so low. This is an absolute disgrace. They should not be called police officers as they most assuredly did NOT properly carry out their (sworn?) duties.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Keystone cops........in the flesh!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

In Japan the police are allowed to police themselves and conduct their own internal investigations.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

In Japan the police are allowed to police themselves and conduct their own internal investigations.

And they neglect those investigations as well.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Well commanteer how well would you really conduct an investigation that was into your own self? LOL!

Just like when the Giants were caught gambling or sumo was beating their students to death. The teams were asked to set up an investigation into themselves.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Well maybe they were too busy commiting their own crimes.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Ten of the 2,300 cases were homicides...

The investigation further reveals that the statute of limitations has expired for all the cases.

There's a statute of limitations on murder?

3 ( +4 / -0 )

How do these stats compare with big cities say int the usa?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Cant get a quick confession, forced or otherwise, then just forget it ever happened. Just the tip of the iceberg. I think the crime rate is way way higher than we are led to believe.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Didn't know 2012 was "the old days", since that was the case that inspired this investigation. What's the officer's excuse for all the recent mishandlings?

Only in Japan!

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Is this really just incompetence? Or do things sometimes get "conveniently" lost or forgotten?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Why am I not surprised?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Only in Japan!

How do you know it's only in Japan? Have you searched the Internet for similar cases in other countries?

Just because you read a report about something happening in Japan, that does not mean it only happens in Japan. I would be most surprised if a similarly detailed investigation of, for example, the Chicago or Newark police did not turn up a load of muck.

Well, well those of us who had been saying as much all along were called Japan bashers, cop haters, bigots, and worse.

This story in no way exonerates you of that charge. Even a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day.

In Japan the police are allowed to police themselves and conduct their own internal investigations.

From what I've read that is a fairly common pattern not just in Japan.

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

@Stewie

Cant get a quick confession, forced or otherwise, then just forget it ever happened. Just the tip of the iceberg. I think the crime rate is way way higher than we are led to believe.

You nailed it. Anything to make the crime rate appear lower than it really is. We all know Osaka is & has always been the worst for crime rates in Japan.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

bullfighter: "How do you know it's only in Japan? Have you searched the Internet for similar cases in other countries?"

Yes, none turned up any links to ANY nation on earth that, in one prefecture alone, had 2,300 cases of neglect, including homicides. It's quite possible, of course, it happens in third-world countries and dictatorships.

"Just because you read a report about something happening in Japan, that does not mean it only happens in Japan."

It does when it happens this frequently, and when ZERO is done about it except a bumbling own keystone says, " chortle... well, way back in 2012 we's did things different. Nawp... nuthin ta be done 'bout it. Shougahen".

"I would be most surprised if a similarly detailed investigation of, for example, the Chicago or Newark police did not turn up a load of muck."

Oh, without a doubt a couple of cases. 2,300? and no cops facing jail for it?

In this case 2,300 times, twice... oh... and every other day we've been calling for a joint J-cops/Crime section, which is nearly every day when this kind of crap pops up. Well, okay, I think it was upskirt filming the other day.... or was it the two drunks on the DUI squad who then fled the scene, then tried to cover up evidence?

But yeah, like you said, happens everywhere 2,300 times that they even bother reporting.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

how many would turn up if they investigated other prefectures?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What did you expect? It's Osaka.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Me : Mr. Owl, how many Japanese crime cases could've had a different outcome based on the evidence collected and improperly stored and forgotten?

Mr. Owl : Ah let's find out! Ah one, ah two, ah too many!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is how you get impressive statistics. You either extract a confession from the guy next door, or you just sweep the cases under the rug and cross them out of the records. Why am I surprised.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Japan is safe there is no need to investigate crimes criminals are honest they turn themselves in!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@smithinjapan Didn't know 2012 was "the old days", since that was the case that inspired this investigation. What's the officer's excuse for all the recent mishandlings?

Only in Japan!

yep doesn't surprise me, good ol klystrons at work, but they are expert race soldiers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Unfortunately, it is the reality here. have you ever tried to go to the police and fill up a complain ? The police will do everything to reject your claim even the law says they must accept it. Even the lawyers will tell you the same, it does take a huge amount of energy to get the police to do their job because it does require them to work too much according to them. Now add the 6 month expiration prosecution on almost 90% of the everyday crime and you know why the conviction rate is at 99%, victims give up. This is a total disgrace, citizen are refused their right to justice.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Yes, none turned up any links to ANY nation on earth that, in one prefecture alone, had 2,300 cases of neglect, including homicides. It's quite possible, of course, it happens in third-world countries and dictatorships.

And all those cases you examined were done by the same methodology and with the same rigor as the Osaka investigation, right?

You also read the article carefully and noted that 10 of the 2300 cases (0.434%) were homicides, right?

You also noted that these figures come from a city with a population of 2.7 million, right?

You also noted that these figures are apparently for a span of 25 years (1991-present) meaning that roughly 92 cases per year were not properly investigated, right?

You also know the total number of cases so you can calculate what percent were neglected, right?

Perhaps because I grew up in the Chicago area, I find these numbers singularly underwhelming. Also, I do not automatically assume that the Japanese people are mentally defective or that the police are completely incompetent.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

That's what I mean by saying that you can not use Japanese stats as evidence that Japan is a safe place. The stats are FAR from complete. Having one ME per 743,080 people is a stat that should cause all stats on murder to be discounted.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Maybe some of you find these figures underwhelming, but as someone who gets stopped and ID checked simply for not looking Japanese, I find this to be rather insulting. If they have time to waste ID'ing random people walking on the street, do they not have time to clean up their files and investigate actual murder files that they have "lost"?

Keep in mind this is only Osaka. Can you imagine what the situation must be like in Tokyo?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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