Japanese Police Chief Apologizes for Wrongful Conviction

In a heartfelt, in-person apology, Shizuoka Prefectural Police chief Takayoshi Tsuda expressed remorse to Iwao Hakamada for his wrongful conviction and the suffering he sustained as a result over nearly six decades. The 88-year-old former boxer was recently acquitted by the Shizuoka District Court after being on death row since a 1966 arrest. Tsuda expressed deep regret for the "unspeakable mental distress" caused, promising a "meticulous and appropriate investigation."

Hakamada, who struggles to converse due to the mental condition that resulted from his decades of death row confinement, responded: "What it means to have the authority ... Once you have the power, you're not supposed to grumble." Hakamada's acquittal was finalized this month when prosecutors decided not to appeal, ending his lengthy legal ordeal. Hakamada was initially arrested over the murder of a company executive and his family. The court found that police had fabricated evidence and forced a confession through prolonged interrogations.

His sister, Hideko, thanked the police chief for acknowledging past errors, although she noted he was not involved in the original case. "There is no use complaining to him after all these years. ... He only came here as his duty," she told reporters afterward. "But I still accepted his visit just because I wanted [my brother] to have a clear break from his past as a death row inmate." Hakamada is recognized as the world's longest-serving death row inmate and only the fifth to be acquitted in a retrial in postwar Japan. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)