Takahiro Shiraishi, infamously dubbed the 'Twitter Killer,' has been executed in Japan, marking the country's first capital punishment since 2022. The 34-year-old had been on death row for the brutal murder of nine individuals in 2017.
Shiraishi targeted vulnerable women aged 15 to 26 through social media, specifically reaching out to those expressing suicidal thoughts. He lured them to his Tokyo apartment under the false promise of helping them die, only to subsequently murder and dismember them. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki described the harrowing details, stating, "Nine victims were beaten and strangled, killed, robbed, and then mutilated, with their remains concealed in boxes and discarded in a garbage dump."
The investigation into Shiraishi's crimes began with the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who had tweeted about her suicidal intentions, ultimately leading authorities to uncover the grotesque reality of his actions. Suzuki emphasized that Shiraishi acted out of “selfish reasons to satisfy his own sexual and financial desires.”
While Shiraishi's legal team contested the hanging, arguing that his victims consented to die, the court rejected their claims. This execution is the first since Tomohiro Kato was put to death in 2022 for a 2008 attack in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, which resulted in the deaths of seven people during a violent rampage.
Capital punishment remains a contentious yet widely supported issue in Japan. A recent government survey conducted in 2024 found that 83 percent of 1,800 respondents considered the death penalty “unavoidable.” Japan is one of the few developed nations, alongside the United States, that still upholds capital punishment.
Although the law stipulates that executions should occur within six months of a final verdict, many inmates languish for years in solitary confinement, which critics argue can lead to severe psychological distress. Inmates are typically notified of their impending execution only hours in advance, often in the early morning, further drawing criticism regarding the lack of transparency in Japan's criminal justice system.
Source: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
