A witness cross-examination of a forensic expert applied by the defense was conducted at the Tokyo High Court in discussions on the so-called "Hakamada Incident" retrial and redoing the trial.
At the high court talks that began in March last year, it was the first time that a witness cross-examination was conducted, and he expressed his views on the change in the color of blood stains, which is at issue.
Iwao Hakamada (86) was sentenced to death in 1966 in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, where four members of his family were killed, but he has been accused of innocence and is seeking a retrial.
A tripartite discussion at the Tokyo High Court was held privately on the 22nd, and witnesses were cross-examined by two forensic experts, including Professor Keiko Shimizu of Asahikawa Medical University, who prepared the expert opinion of the defense.
In the high court talks, the biggest issue was the change in the color of the blood stains on the clothing that was found in the miso tank near the scene, and the prosecution said that the blood stains were reddish over time. It claims that it may remain.
According to the defense team, Professor Shimizu testified that "the blood stains soaked in miso for a year will not leave redness."
He also pointed out that the prosecution's experiments had "deficiencies in condition settings and methods."
This is the first time that a witness cross-examination has been held in the talks that began in March last year, and will be held on the 1st and 5th of next month.
Mr. Hakamada's older sister Hideko, who was admitted to the hearing, said, "I don't know until the results come out, but I'm really looking forward to the start of the retrial."