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Numbskull_b t1_j45nn60 wrote

Reply to comment by Nether_Button in Japanese prosecutors charge man with murdering former prime minister Shinzo Abe by Nether_Button

Japan has the death penalty and a conviction rate (correct me if I'm wrong here) of around 90%. If you get arrested and end up in criminal court in Japan there's a near certainty that you're going to jail.

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truecore t1_j45rn1o wrote

In order to receive death penalty in Japan you need to kill multiple people, this guy won't be eligible unless they set precedent.

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fullload93 t1_j46y6a2 wrote

There might exist something else for murder with intent for politicians. I just don’t see him getting off with only life in prison for this serious of an offense.

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truecore t1_j4702qd wrote

There have not been many high profile assassinations of politicians in Japan, and they might make an exception, but only because it's Abe, they wouldn't for any other politician. For example he was the first to receive a state funeral.

That said, I don't actually see them handing down the death penalty because there have been much more violent killings that avoided it. They're pretty strict about having to have killed multiple people.

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Squire_II t1_j47olaw wrote

Even Japan's legal system has to be aware that executing this guy will take him from hero to martyr for a ton of people.

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truecore t1_j483r45 wrote

They are very aware, the same thing happened in Japans most prominent politician murder which happened live on TV, Yamaguchi Otoya is worshipped by the far right for killing a Communist party leader with a wakizashi on stage.

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st_Paulus t1_j4biiqn wrote

>or killing a Communist party leader

Socialist Party.

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kottabaz t1_j46l9l4 wrote

This has more to do with prosecutors declining to take cases they aren't certain of convicting than it does with anything else.

EDIT: You can downvote all you like, it doesn't change the fact that prosecutors' offices in Japan are widely understaffed, and that prosecutors drop most cases instead of even trying to indict. I'm sure you've heard all sorts of dumb stories by disgruntled expats, but the statistics show the truth.

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bettinafairchild t1_j46x2vf wrote

Not really. They have a huge rate of confession because they can hold you a very long time without allowing a lawyer. They will just keep you awake, constantly questioning you until you confess. They also don’t have jury trials, so a judge decides, and it turns out judges in Japan really frequently choose to convict.

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The_Barnanator t1_j46u0eh wrote

The same is true of US federal prosecution

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kottabaz t1_j47a5fp wrote

The same is true of most countries.

(The US is distinctive in its enormous reliance on plea bargaining, however.)

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