Court orders retrial of man over 1986 schoolgirl's murder

police forced others to give testimonies consistent with the first statement

Again? Whether for the purpose of stitching up the suspect or the suspect himself, forcing confessions and statements is wrong.

Just another example that’s shows prosecutors here do not seek justice, they seek convictions. Once you are indicted you are guilty no matter what the evidence says, including the evidence prosecutors can just hide.

I wonder how many called for him to be strung up!

Just another example that’s shows prosecutors here do not seek justice, they seek convictions. Once you are indicted you are guilty no matter what the evidence says, including the evidence prosecutors can just hide.

THIS!

But I'm glad that there is a sense of a possibility of a miscarriage of Justice and that he will get another trial.

Anyone get a sense that the recent high profile case (with the guy who spent 50-odd years on death row) might have opened the floodgates?

Prosecutors nationwide are going to be bricking it.

A SEVEN YEAR sentence after being convicted of murdering a girl?

Whether this man is guilty or innocent, the justice system has been shown to be farcical. If he is retried and found innocent I hope he is compensated, and the detectives and prosecuting lawyer on this case are ultimately tried and imprisoned.

Only one thing is certain - the parents of the poor girl will never see any justice.

nonu6976

You just described the US system. The only difference between Japan and the US is . . . nothing. This fella, just like many in the US, is going to see his day in court again. What's wrong with that?

The prosecuters' office will probably appeal this. Prosecuters' in Japan see themselves as the guardians of Japanese society, and regard any threat to them (ie. no confession) as a threat to Japan. I other words they are a "Star Chamber". However it is good to see that this decision shows that either Judges in Japan are less of the imbecile rubber stampers that they have been for years, or defence lawyers are getting much better.

@Gene

You must be new to Japan.

There is nothing to brag about a 99% conviction rate.

Fighto!Today 08:24 am JST

A SEVEN YEAR sentence after being convicted of murdering a girl?

I was also surprised to read that, it seems there is something totally wrong with this case from the very beginning on.

Whether for the purpose of stitching up the suspect or the suspect himself, forcing confessions and statements is wrong.1( +6 / -5 )

Surprisingly, already 5 people don't think it wrong. Unless they are police or prosecutors, it would be interesting to hear the moral reasoning behind that.

again! It seems that police detectives interrogated the suspect illegally and paid money to the witness to make him guilty.

The infamous 99% conviction rate is only for cases that go to trial, and a guilty verdict is almost guaranteed. Around 60% of cases do not go to trial.

CSM May 10, 2023

The guy was a well known scumbag in the Fukui community, one of the types that would sniff thinner bad, just asked the wife ( we live in Fukui ) about it and the general consensus is that he did it. Fairly gruesome stuff. Stabbed multiple times in the chest and apparently an eyeball removed or something macabre of that sort. A frenzy killing. As much as we would like a simple neat narrative about another victim of the Japanese judicial system, will take pause before I also jump on the wagon. The J cops may have stuffed the arrest, which is bad, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t do it. The event shook this small city to its core. Books probably have been written for those that want to do a deeper dive.

Sorry - clicked too soon. From the CSM article:

Japan does not have a pretrial discovery process that allows defendants access to prosecutorial evidence.

However, prosecutors present only incriminating evidence to a court, while hiding other pieces of evidence that could point away from the accused.

So this guy was convicted of murder without any physical evidence. Japan you can do better.

 I wonder how many called for him to be strung up!

None, JT didnt exist back then!

If no hard piece of evidence, anyone could go to jail for no reason !

Testimonies have never been a scientific proof. Japan needs to learn that honor has no role in demonstrating a case.

A SEVEN YEAR sentence after being convicted of murdering a girl?

I was also surprised to read that, it seems there is something totally wrong with this case from the very beginning on.

I was surprised too. But I've read elsewhere that he was considered to have a diminished mental capacity. I don't know how such people are generally handled in Japan, but I'm guessing it had some connection to the sentence.

I was surprised too. But I've read elsewhere that he was considered to have a diminished mental capacity.

Yes, very. was also in some sort of relationship with the young JHS girl. The devils always in the details.

Surprisingly, already 5 people don't think it wrong. Unless they are police or prosecutors, it would be interesting to hear the moral reasoning behind that. -7( +3 / -10 )

Wow! The fact that there are those who are blasé about forcing confessions makes Japan more scary than I hitherto thought. I wonder what proportion of the population is prepared to turn a blind eye to it.