In a landmark decision, an 88-year-old former boxer, Iwao Hakamada, has been acquitted in a retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder in Japan, closing the chapter on what has become one of the longest death row ordeals in history. On Thursday, the Shizuoka District Court in Tokyo ruled in favor of Hakamada, exonerating him from a conviction that has haunted him for over five decades.

Hakamada had been sentenced to death in 1968 for the brutal murder of his employer and the employer’s family, a crime that shocked Japan. However, after spending nearly 40 years on death row, doubts about the validity of his conviction began to surface, leading to his eventual release in 2014 when DNA evidence challenged the reliability of the evidence used to convict him.

The acquittal was a momentous occasion, not just for Hakamada, but for his 91-year-old sister, Hideko, who has tirelessly advocated for his release. Addressing a jubilant crowd outside the court, Hideko expressed her gratitude, saying, “Everyone, we won the acquittal, it’s all thanks to your support. Thank you for such a long time.”

The retrial focused on the handling of evidence, particularly clothing found in a miso paste tank over a year after the murders, which prosecutors claimed belonged to Hakamada. His defense team argued that the stains on the clothing, said to be blood, had been planted and would not have remained red if they had been submerged in the miso tank for such a long period. The court sided with the defense, stating that investigators had fabricated evidence, a significant development in the case.

Amnesty International, which has long championed Hakamada’s cause, noted that his original conviction was based on a forced confession obtained after 20 days of interrogation. Hakamada had retracted this confession during his trial, alleging police brutality, but it was still used to convict him.

Japan remains one of the few nations, alongside the U.S., that continues to use the death penalty. However, this case has reignited debates about the country’s criminal justice system and its use of capital punishment.

As the world continues to reckon with the flaws in criminal justice systems, Hakamada’s case stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of wrongful convictions. This acquittal closes a painful chapter, but it also raises questions about how many others could be facing similar fates.

Credit: CBS News