SHIZUOKA, Oct 09, 2024 (News On Japan) - The prosecution has announced that it will not appeal the recent ruling by the Shizuoka District Court, which acquitted Iwao Hakamada, who had been sentenced to death for a 1966 murder case involving a family of four. This decision solidifies Hakamada's acquittal.
In the case, which dates back to June 1966, the bodies of four family members from a miso manufacturing company in Shizuoka Prefecture were discovered. Hakamada, now 88, was arrested and indicted, with the death sentence confirmed in 1980. Hakamada, who maintained his innocence, was granted a retrial in 2014 and released after nearly 48 years in prison.
During the retrial, which started in October of last year at the Shizuoka District Court, prosecutors once again sought the death penalty, while the defense argued that investigators had fabricated several pieces of evidence to frame Hakamada. The court sided with the defense, ruling on September 26 that some of the evidence used for conviction had indeed been fabricated, resulting in Hakamada’s acquittal.
Naomi Unemoto, the prosecutor general, issued a statement announcing the decision not to appeal, despite expressing concerns over the Shizuoka court's ruling, which she described as "containing many problems" and "worthy of a higher court’s review." However, she added that due to the prolonged and inconsistent judicial proceedings, Hakamada had endured significant legal uncertainty for an extended period. After careful deliberation, the prosecution concluded that further extending this situation through an appeal would be inappropriate.
Unemoto also issued an apology, stating: "As a key player in the criminal justice system, the prosecution deeply regrets that Hakamada was subjected to such prolonged legal instability."
The prosecution also announced its intention to conduct an internal review of why the retrial process had taken such an extensive period.
Source: ANN
