Police in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan apologized for the wrongful arrest of Iwao Hakamada, who was accused of murder. After a struggle for justice that has continued since 1966, Hakamada was released after 58 years and declared innocent.
Police in Japan have apologized to a man who was wrongly accused of murder and awaited the death penalty for 58 years for their wrongful investigation.
Japanese Shizuoka Prefectural Police Chief Takayoshi Tsuda visited the home of Iwao Hakamada yesterday and apologized to both Hakamada and his sister Hideko for the wrongful arrest and investigation. Tsuda said, “We have caused you indescribable anxiety and burden during the 58 years from the time you were arrested to the time your innocence was proven. We are truly sorry. We will strive to make our investigations more meticulous and fair.” Hideko responded to the police by saying, “This happened 58 years ago. We believe that everything is our fate. We will not be filing any complaints with the police anymore.” Hakamada was arrested in 1966 on charges of killing four people. After Hakamada was sentenced to death, his sister Hideko petitioned for a retrial for years. In 2014, a district court suspended Hakamada’s death sentence and ordered a retrial, which resulted in his release. Hakamada was declared innocent after a retrial on September 26.
