Pressed by Police, Even Innocent Confess in Japan

[kskiska]

Source: NYT

SHIBUSHI, Japan — The suspects in a vote-buying case in this small town in western Japan were subjected to repeated interrogations and, in several instances, months of pretrial detention. The police ordered one woman to shout her confession out a window and forced one man to stomp on the names of his loved ones.

In all, 13 men and women, ranging in age from their early 50s to mid-70s, were arrested and indicted. Six buckled and confessed to an elaborate scheme of buying votes with liquor, cash and catered parties. One man died during the trial — from the stress, the others said — and another tried to kill himself.

But all were acquitted this year in a local district court, which found that their confessions had been entirely fabricated. The presiding judge said the defendants had “made confessions in despair while going through marathon questioning.”

The Japanese authorities have long relied on confessions to take suspects to court, instead of building cases based on solid evidence. Human rights groups have criticized the practice for leading to abuses of due process and convictions of innocent people.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/world/asia/11japan.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[mrcheerful]

1. In america the courts use the plea bargain and scare tactics to get people to take a plea

such as charging a person with a more serious crime if he refuses the plea bargain. It's used mainly against the poor and most of those cases have little to no evidence out side of the accused was in the area. I wonder how many in DU would like to hear a judge say " I know the witnesses are lying, but something happened, the witnesses said so", "15 years to life imprisonment, bailiff take him away"? Remember "beyond a reasonable doubt"?

[Mojorabbit]

2. I was interrogated

by the japanese police for over eight hours while they had my first hubby locked up. It was intense and they kept trying to get me to sign a confession by threatening to put me away for seven years.
Long time ago in the seventies.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. As a victim of an armed robbery

back in the 80's I was interrogated by a Charlotte, NC police detective (Sgt. Athey) who decided that I had made the whole story up and stolen the money myself.

He lied repeatedly to me about the evidence and demanded I confess, threatened to arrest me right then and there and throw the book at me unless I confessed.

I refused and demanded I either be arrested or released. He released me only after forcing me to have a mug shot taken.

I subsequently spoke to the witnesses he claimed contradicted my story, all denied he had ever spoken to them and wondered why since they had witnessed a robbery and thought the police would want to talk to them.

Years later I overheard two cops talking at the gym and one intoned the policeman's credo: "There are two kinds of people in the world: Cops and perps."

Incensed, I stuck my head around the corner and told them MY credo:

"There are two kinds of criminals in the world: Those with badges, and those without."

For some reason, it pissed them off.

[slackmaster]

4. My brother and his family had their home broken into in Japan

He's in the Canoe Club. They were living in Opama village near Yokosuka Naval Base.

They came home from a day trip to find a window broken and some belongings missing - Stereo, some jewelry, small amount of cash.

The local police came to investigate - A senior officer and four newbies, all with their little white gloves. The investigation lasted just five minutes. The senior officer told my sister-in-law, in Japanese:

"I am very sorry madam, but we cannot investigate this crime any further. It is clear that it was not committed by a Japanese person, rather an American."

She asked how they could be certain. The officer pointed to the floor near the broken window. There was a single dusty footprint, made by a tennis shoe. "See here? A Japanese burglar would have removed his shoes before entering the house. Good day."

And they left.