39 years ago, in a robbery-murder case in Hino Town, Shiga Prefecture, the man who was sentenced to life imprisonment even though he claimed his innocence, died while serving the sentence. Subsequently, a decision was made to allow a retrial = a redo of the trial.
Hiroshi Sakahara, a former factory worker in Hino Town, Shiga Prefecture, who died at the age of 75 while in prison, was allowed to redo the trial at the High Court.
In 1984, Mr. Sakahara was charged with robbery and murder for murdering a 69-year-old woman who ran a liquor store in Hino-cho and stealing the safe. Life imprisonment confirmed.
Even after serving his sentence, Mr. Sakahara continued to seek a retrial, claiming that he was forced to make a false confession.
Five years ago, the Otsu District Court decided to approve a retrial, ruling that ``the confession at the investigation stage is suspected to have been forced by the police after being assaulted.''
This decision was the first judicial ruling to allow a retrial for a person whose death sentence or life imprisonment was finalized after the war and who died without reintegrating into society. was
Regarding this, Osaka High Court Chief Judge Kyoji Ishikawa issued a decision to allow a retrial following the Otsu District Court.
If this decision is confirmed, Mr. Sakahara's trial will be redone in the future.