Former Boxer Hakamata Found Not Guilty of 1966 Murder in Japan
Former Boxer Hakamata Acquitted After Retrial in Japan
Japan’s official Kyodo news agency reported that the case of 88-year-old former boxer Hakamata, who was sentenced to death for killing four people in 1966, was retried. The Shizuoka District Court ruled that the clothing in question could not be considered valid evidence and acquitted Hakamata.
Hakamata was arrested in 1966 while working at a soybean mill in Shizuoka Prefecture, southeast of Tokyo, for allegedly stabbing four members of the same family to death. He was sentenced to death in September 1968 on charges of murder, and his sentence was finalized in December 1980. Despite multiple failed appeals for a retrial in the following years, Hakamata’s case was finally reopened in March 2014, leading to his release from custody.
After filing a special appeal with the Constitutional Court, the case was sent back to the Tokyo High Court in December 2020. The court ultimately ordered a retrial of Hakamata’s case in March 2023, resulting in his acquittal.
This decision marks the end of a long legal battle for Hakamata, who has maintained his innocence throughout the years. The retrial highlights the importance of proper evidence and due process in the judicial system, ensuring that justice is served fairly and accurately.
