Japanese Bishops push for death penalty abolition after acquittal of death row inmate

By Mark Saludes, LiCAS News

“With the verdict of acquittal of Mr. Hakamada, we would like to call on Japanese society to once again consider the merits and demerits of the death penalty,” said Archbishop Tarcisio Kikuchi Isao of Tokyo, President of the Japanese Bishops’ Conference.

The 88-year-old was found not guilty by the Shizuoka District Court, ending more than five decades of imprisonment.

Hakamada was convicted in 1968 for the murder of his employer, the man’s wife, and their two teenage children. 

He was sentenced to death based on a confession he later claimed was coerced during intense interrogations. 

Hakamada spent over 50 years on death row, maintaining his innocence, until the court granted a retrial amid concerns that key evidence had been manipulated.

“Even if a person is wrongfully convicted, once human life and dignity have been taken away by the death penalty, they cannot be restored,” Archbishop Kikuchi said.

Hakamada’s case has drawn international attention, raising concerns about wrongful convictions in Japan’s justice system, where capital cases often rely on confessions obtained through lengthy interrogations. 

His legal battle has sparked renewed debate about the use of the death penalty in Japan.

“We wholeheartedly welcome and thank God that after more than half a century, Mr. Hakamada, who has protested his innocence for many years and faced the grave injustice of a wrongful death sentence, has finally been found not guilty,” added Archbishop Kikuchi.

Japan remains one of the few developed nations that still uses the death penalty, despite calls for its abolition.

Capital punishment continues to receive broad public support in the country, but Hakamada’s case has prompted further discussion about its implementation.

“We believe that the merciful God will extend His healing hand to Mr. Hakamada, who has been forced to live a life of suffering as a wrongfully convicted death row inmate,” said Archbishop Kikuchi.

The prelate concluded with a prayer for Hakamada’s well-being and a reaffirmation of the Church’s mission to protect human dignity.

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