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How crime suspects are treated by police and prosecutors is unknown to many Japanese, who tend to trust authoritative figures and assume anyone who gets arrested is guilty. Do you agree with this statement?

15 Comments
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15 Comments
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Having a nearly 100% conviction rate doesn't really sound well for people who are unjustly accused of crimes. It just means that there is no justice. Why do high-profile J-personalities don't serve a prison sentence if they just publicly apologize and pay sorry money but regular people and foreigners get the short end of the stick?

22 ( +22 / -0 )

unfortunately, many Japanese are ambivalent to the system here until they get caught up in it. Then its a rude awakening.

20 ( +27 / -7 )

I agree with "GyGene" I lived nearly 12 years in Japan. Without exception, coworkers and acquaintances had an almost religious "respect" for police. If you were arrested, you must be guilty.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

I lived in Japan for more than 25 years. Further, I was a policeman with the USAF, worked with Japanese police on many issues. So, when I write that the Japanese justice system must change, I think I have relevant knowledge and experience to write this.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

Of course I agree with a factual statement like this strangely worded sentence. I think the people who said No didn’t understand the sentence.

15 ( +20 / -5 )

When discussing the advantages of a jury system with Japanese lawyers here in Japan, they told me that the jury system would in fact be more unfair than the system Japan presently has, which consists of 3 judges. They explained that in Japan if the police accuse anybody of committing a crime, then that's generally good enough for the ordinary Japanese citizen. Thus, anyone accused of having committed a crime in Japan by the police would be guilty until proven innocent in the eyes of a Japanese jury. These lawyers also went on to say that in a country like the U.S., a jury system might be better, but in Japan, with its cultural attitudes being the way they are towards authority, it's a very different story.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

The criminal system in Japan needs to be reformed so that all can receive fair treatment.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Yes, but perhaps things need to change.

Stormcrow, interesting and may have a degree of truth, but are they saying that in an open and fair trial a Japanese jury presented with evidence contradicting the prosecution would ignore it?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I can't condemn the average person. They are too busy working, raising a family, living daily life, and scraping by to be thinking about it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I can't condemn the average person. They are too busy working, raising a family, living daily life, and scraping by to be thinking about it.

And, sadly, this is why it doesn't change. Because the average person / most people don't make their voices heard, as they either are afraid to or don't care, as long as they are not victims of the system.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Serrano

Exactly.

Europe has learned from WWII never to forget. Never again to stay low voices when your neighbour is having a trouble but because it does not affect you, you don't get interested in the reasons why. The next one might be you.

This has lead to Shoah and massacres of minorities/groups.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yes, and when they find themselves in a similar situation, they might change their tune. I find many people never think to put themselves in other people's shoes. There's a lack of empathy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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