Shizuoka local police chief apologizes to man acquitted over 1966 murders

Not really enough is it. Japanese criminal justice system again deserves a pat on the back for being completely pathetic and useless. All we hear about is mistake after mistake. The entire system needs modernising and they should all be ashamed. Just saying 'sorry' does not cut it. Where's the accountability?! This mans entire life has been wasted and they treat it as if he was given a trivial accidental parking ticket. I am ashamed of the entire system.

The current police chief!?? He could not have been at the station when the arrest happened six decades ago. So his words don't mean much. What about those actually responsible? The cops who investigated and planted evidence. The prosecutors who relentlessly fought his defense to keep him on death row. The judges who agreed with them and fell for phony evidence. Not a peep from them, eh.

Nice photo op, though.

Well I never...

What's the betting that every single police officer and prosecutor involved in this travesty of justice has already shuffled off this mortal coil?

So who is the murderer?

Should be on hands and knees at the very least.

Despicable.

JeffLeeToday 05:14 pm JST

The current police chief!?? He could not have been at the station when the arrest happened six decades ago. So his words don't mean much. What about those actually responsible? The cops who investigated and planted evidence. The prosecutors who relentlessly fought his defense to keep him on death row. The judges who agreed with them and fell for phony evidence. Not a peep from them, eh.

I'm guessing "those actually responsible" have all left this world and hopefully now are forced to spend eternity reflecting on their evil ways!

The original police chief and prosecutor should be there on their knees.

A solemn bow, 3 consecutive cart wheels, a back flip, a 16 minute handstand and more importantly an serious investigation into the crooked cops and corrupt system of justice that that robbed this man of the majority of his life.

Not really going to get his life back is it? At least his kids and wife should be taken care of for life.

Pay him for the forced confession and false imprisonment while you're down there, buddy.

apologized in person to an 88-year-old man who spent nearly half a century on death row before being acquitted in a retrial over a 1966 quadruple murder case

Spent 50 years being in death row line because interrogation intimidation, only to get a bow that's how Japan work. No wonder Ghosn said he escaped injustice.

What an horrific story which brings again under the lights the brutal and unjust police/prosecution system with it’s forced confessions and few to non rights for the defendants.

Japan is a beautiful country but this is a very dark side of it more alike to totalitarian systems rather than free and modern democracies.

Besides,a simple words or thousand nice words won’t give the over 50 years stolen to this poor man which deserves a high financial compensation.

To tell the truth, I am not sure that this guy didn't do it but the investigation by the police and prosecutors was such a fiasco they should not have gotten a conviction.

Would have been nice to see the living relatives of those responsible for this criminal abuse of this poor man and his family, take part in the apology!

Just like this cop is not directly responsible for what happened, he apologized, as should all the living sons, daughters, and maybe grandchildren, who put him on death row for all these years.

Their family's legacy should be tarnished as well!

ableko45

So who is the murderer?

We will never know. But not the guy who was framed by the police.

There must be names in the records. Nail the guys who faked the evidence and subjected this guy to violent "interrogations" - even if they are dead and buried, their names need to be outed.

again, a nonsense, tatemae apologize with an official completely unrelated to the case.... just a comedian for the picture .

make no mistake. this guy is free just because his sister make a fuss on the media inconvenient for the MOJ.

many innocent guys are victims of a BS and nonsense judgment.

on the other hand, prosecutors reject apology practically.

Un−precedented comment from attorney general Unemoto denies fabricated evidences, it express as if Iwao Hakamata is still murderer, and so arrogant like they gave innocence for him from on high.

Sorry! but is it really enough? I can't imagine being on death row, for something i never did.Now, thee question is....WHO was the person who actually commited the murders?

Right now, there is a guy languishing on death row in the US. Even th cops who convicted him think he is innocent, but nope! gotta stick to your guns. Whats worse is the guy has autism and they assumed his autistic behaviour was a sign of his guilt. Robert Robertson. I can't help but wonder if there needs to be some board, that is outside of the law, politics, or something that has vested interests to look at all these cases.

Even the U.K sent terrorists to jail for decades only to be proven wrong, and some just missed the death penalty. Is it really worth killing all those innocents just to make sure we hang all the guilty?

I'm not so sure!

i read of an instance where police got a guy to confess to murdering his father after day long interrogations and manipulation.

his father wasn’t dead and they knew it. nothing at all had happened to the father and the son wasn’t even in the same city.

confessions can be a dicey business.

Peter NeilToday  12:12 am JST

i read of an instance where police got a guy to confess to murdering his father after day long interrogations and manipulation.

his father wasn’t dead and they knew it. nothing at all had happened to the father and the son wasn’t even in the same city.

confessions can be a dicey business.

Thats one reason torture isn't reliable. You confess to anything or make up a story just to end the pain.

This is all too common. In a society where the cops once could pass judgement and take a man's head for any reason, the rights of others aren't valued.

The apology has come way to late in the day, I think his sister should be give a lot of praise, and possibly an award for her undying commitment to getting her brother dodgy conviction overturned and released from prison.

What? after he has been through? Just a bow???

"I am sorry for the unspeakable burden and trouble we have caused you over the long 58 years from the time of your arrest to your acquittal being finalized,"

unspeakable burden and trouble?? LOL

Spent 50 years being in death row line because interrogation intimidation, only to get a bow that's how Japan work. No wonder Ghosn said he escaped injustice.

THIS!!!

Pathetic apology from a pathetic corrupt justice system in Japan.

Dan, you said it right, "Pathetic apology from a pathetic corrupt justice system in Japan." I don't know why you got four downvotes, but what you say is spot on. There is something very wrong with the police/justice system in Japan.