Expert witness cross-examination is expected to be held in the summer at the Tokyo High Court's discussions on the so-called "Hakamada Incident" retrial and redoing the trial.
Iwao Hakamada (86) was sentenced to death in 1966 when four family members were killed in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, but he has filed a retrial for innocence.
On the 23rd, a private discussion between the court, a lawyer, and the prosecution was held at the Tokyo High Court, and the defense team held a press conference after the discussion.
In the talks, about a year after the arrest, the change in the color of the blood stains on the clothes allegedly belonging to the criminal found in the miso tank near the scene was disputed, and the defense side was immersed in miso for over a year. Blood redness is unlikely to remain, claiming that evidence has been forged.
On the other hand, the prosecution argues that redness may remain based on its own experiments.
On the 23rd, the defense and the prosecution's request for cross-examination of expert witnesses was examined, and the court announced a three-day schedule from late July to August.
In the future, if the details are adjusted and officially decided to be implemented, the discussions that have been held since last year will reach the end of the year.
Katsuhiko Nishijima, a lawyer of the defense team, said, "I don't think that the prospects have been unconditionally opened because witnesses have been cross-examined in the past trials of the Tokyo High Court, which canceled the decision to start a retrial."
On the other hand, Mr. Hakata's older sister Hideko said, "I have high expectations for the start of the retrial."