OSAKA - Keiko Aoki, a woman who was acquitted in a retrial after initially being convicted of arson and murder, has publicly voiced her indignation following the Supreme Court's refusal to recognize the state's liability in her wrongful conviction.
In 1995, Aoki was accused of setting fire to her home in Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, resulting in the death of her 11-year-old daughter. She was found guilty and served time in prison. However, her conviction was overturned in 2016, leading to an acquittal in a retrial.
Aoki sought compensation from both Osaka Prefecture and the state, arguing that the police investigation and the prosecution's charges were illegal. Although both the district and appellate courts acknowledged the illegality of the police interrogation, thus holding Osaka Prefecture accountable, they did not find the prosecution's actions to be unlawful, absolving the state of any responsibility. The Supreme Court has now rejected Aoki's appeal, upholding the lower courts' decisions.
Aoki expressed her frustration, stating, "The prosecution just proceeds with charges based on what the police have investigated, as if it's part of an assembly line process. Can the prosecutor's office, which plays such a pivotal role in determining a person's life, afford to be so careless with its charges? Unless this is corrected, wrongful convictions will not cease."
Source: MBS
