88 Year Old Acquitted After Spending Over 45 Years on Death Row

(Sky News) – Iwao Hakamada, once the world’s longest serving death row inmate, has been acquitted after spending more than 45 years on death row. Now 88 years old, Hakamada was convicted in 1968 for the brutal murder of his former boss, the boss’s wife, and their two children. He was also accused of setting fire to their home. After nearly five decades behind bars, his conviction has been overturned, with the court ruling that crucial evidence used against him had likely been fabricated.

The former professional boxer was sentenced to death for the 1966 killings in a case that has drawn widespread attention in Japan and around the world. Hakamada initially denied committing the crime but later confessed after what he described as a violent police interrogation. His confession, he later claimed, was forced. In 2023, new findings emerged that called into question the integrity of the evidence that was used to convict him.

Central to the case was blood-stained clothing, which investigators said belonged to Hakamada. The clothing was discovered more than a year after his arrest, hidden in a tank of miso, a fermented soybean paste. However, a Tokyo High Court found that clothing soaked in miso for such a long period would turn too dark for bloodstains to be visible. This raised suspicions that the evidence had been fabricated. Furthermore, DNA tests on blood samples did not match Hakamada, and the trousers submitted as evidence were later found to be too small for him.

In addition to these discrepancies, Hakamada’s planned execution had been repeatedly delayed due to long legal battles, including numerous appeals and the eventual retrial. His first appeal for a retrial was turned down after he had already been in jail for 27 years. It was not until 2014 that a court ordered a new trial based on the new evidence. However, despite his release from prison that year, he was not formally acquitted until now.

Hakamada’s release in 2014 came with significant restrictions, as he continued to serve his sentence at home due to his fragile health. His sister, Hideko Hakamada, 91, had tirelessly campaigned for his freedom, filing his second appeal in 2008, which ultimately led to the retrial and his eventual acquittal.

The final hearing in May 2024 saw prosecutors still calling for the death penalty, a move that drew sharp criticism from human rights groups. Many argued that the prosecution was unnecessarily prolonging the trial in the face of mounting evidence of police misconduct.

The Shizuoka District Court delivered its ruling on Thursday, with presiding judge Koshi Kunii confirming that Hakamada was not guilty, and the evidence against him had been fabricated. Hakamada’s acquittal marks the fifth time a death row convict has been found not guilty in a retrial in Japan since 1945.

Hakamada’s case has prompted widespread debate over Japan’s legal system, particularly the reliance on confessions obtained under duress. Human rights groups continue to advocate for reforms to prevent similar miscarriages of justice in the future.