School intruder says he intended to stab young Prince Hisahito

How do you know it wasn’t a forced confession? Will we really know? JAPAN is not like the States where you have taped interrogation sessions and where you can hire a defense lawyer, they talk on your behalf and advise you of your legal rights and what to say and not to say.

Spot on.

Police interrogation processes were fully recorded, by audio or video, in 81.9 percent of criminal cases subject to trial under the lay judge system in fiscal 2017, the National Police Agency stated

Less than 100% for all crimes, not just those subject to the lay judge system, is appropriate. That said, it doesn't matter because the defense attorneys and judges don't get access to the recordings.

81.9% not good at all.

Unforgivable and heinous. This warrants the penalty of life in prison, never be released

How do you know it wasn’t a forced confession? Will we really know? JAPAN is not like the States where you have taped interrogation sessions and where you can hire a defense lawyer, they talk on your behalf and advise you of your legal rights and what to say and not to say.

Good thing Japan has GUN LAWS

I clicked on this but my only reaction is... huh?! Why doesn't the key point in the title (a confession) appear in the article itself (which reads like a direct English translation of Japanese bullet points)?

Good point. The police and prosecutor are trying to indicate Mens Rea, and that his intentions were to harm the Prince.

Was a lawyer present when he alledgedly made this statement of intent.

I wonder if he really wanted to stab him. He leaves two knifes on the desks and then walks out of the school? Why?

> Also, a confession carries no value atm in Japan tbh.

Pretty much nailed it 100%

@Judy Itoh Just want to praise herself by giving us an in depth description of security at her former yochien lol. The article itself doesn't give us adequate information pertaining the security systems at this school. How big is the university vs your homestyle yochien. Security systems can always breached. We can all make our own assumptions about this case, and in response to this poorly written, and less informative article.

Glad none was hurt!

I clicked on this but my only reaction is... huh?! Why doesn't the key point in the title (a confession) appear in the article itself (which reads like a direct English translation of Japanese bullet points)?

It did seem to be more of a passive aggressive message rather than an intent to stab, although one never knows. Given the Reiwa mania and general imperial family reverence though, he was never ever going to get away with it. They would have pursued him to the ends of the earth until they caught him.

Obviously the security at the school is not befitting that of a school that a future monarch attends.

Im sorry to say this but the usual security guards in front of schools are the grandfather types in the latter half of their 60’s that don’t look capable of stopping anyone even if they announced their intentions.

They’re the same ones that greet you at a bank and their training is only aiming and throwing the orange ink balls that splatter on fleeing robbers’ clothing.

Mental health needs to be addressed more in this country.

I do not understand how “a plumber” was allowed entrance. Obviously, nobody checked to see if a plumber had been contacted and was expected on the property. I ran a large private youchien for 18 years. I took security very seriously. The gates were locked, a monitor/speaker was at the front gate, all guests had to announce their name and why they were there, an employee met them and stayed with them while on the campus, all employees wore a necklace with their name and position listed on it, all rooms had a very high piercing alarm to set off if anything ever happened. We had no famous students like a future Emperor in my school, but every student and every employee’s safety were my responsibility! It was common sense and I took my responsibility for each and every person in my care VERY seriously! I hope this school changes their security protocol! One event is one too many! This should NEVER ever happen in any school!

Was a lawyer present when he made the alledged confession?

I wonder if he really wanted to stab him. He leaves two knifes on the desks and then walks out of the school? Why?

Good question!

Forced confession

Could very well be. But it appears this is indeed the guy who entered the school and left the knives on his desk, and they haven't got the wrong guy which has happened more than once.

so he left a knive on the prince desk and he was showing the prince like " look i'll put this on your desk so i can stab you", i would say that probably they had some lunch at school and someone forgot it on he's desk so they thought let's catch someone and make a news LUL

Makings of a good intriguing novel.

Unforgivable and heinous. This warrants the penalty of life in prison, never be released.

Forced confession

On April 26, an aluminum bar with two fruit knives attached by duct tape to one end was found placed across the prince's desk and the one next to it. The blades of the knives were painted pink but no written message was left at the scene.

> Security cameras captured images of a man, believed to be Hasegawa, walking past the main gate of the university in the morning and leaving less than an hour after.

I wonder if he really wanted to stab him. He leaves two knifes on the desks and then walks out of the school? Why?

Also, a confession carries no value atm in Japan tbh.

Too little, too late. I was going to add, 'as usual', but decided not to.

Difficult to paint any of this in a good light, except to say that by exposing the school's security flaws perhaps he has somehow helped improve things. The guy sounds like a real piece of work, though.