A Japanese man dubbed the “Twitter killer” was on Tuesday sentenced to death by a Tokyo court for murdering and dismembering nine people he met on the social media platform.
Takahiro Shiraishi, 30, admitted killing and butchering his young victims, all but one of whom were women.
His lawyers had argued he should receive a prison sentence rather than be executed, because his victims, aged 15 to 26, expressed suicidal thoughts on social media and “so had consented to die.”
Photo: Masato Yamashita / Jiji Press / AFP
However, a judge dismissed that argument and handed down the death penalty over the 2017 crimes, which he called “cunning and cruel,” Japan Broadcasting Corp (NHK) said.
“None of the nine victims consented to be killed, including silent consent,” NHK quoted the judge as saying. “It is extremely grave that the lives of nine young people were taken away.”
The judge added that the case, which prompted calls for tighter control on social networks, “provoked great anxiety in society.”
The grisly murders attracted international attention, and the case has been followed closely in Japan, with 435 people reportedly turning up to secure one of 16 available public seats.
When asked if the verdict was audible, Shiraishi, wearing a white mask, stood still and only said: “I understood.”
Family members of the victims have spoken emotionally of their continued pain over the case, with the brother of a 25-year-old woman killed by Shiraishi saying that his “heart died” when he heard the murderer’s testimony.
“It felt like I was being hurt with a sharp knife over and over again,” he said.
The woman’s father last month said in court that he “will never forgive Shiraishi even if he dies,” local media reported at the time.
“Even now, when I see a woman of my daughter’s age, I mistake her for my daughter. This pain will never go away,” he said.
Shiraishi targeted his victims on Twitter, contacting users who posted about taking their own lives and telling them he could help them in their plans.
He was detained three years ago by police investigating the case of a 23-year-old woman who had reportedly written on Twitter about wanting to kill herself.
After she went missing, her brother gained access to her Twitter account, and noticed a suspicious handle, leading them to Shiraishi’s residence, where they uncovered a house of horrors on the morning of Oct. 1, 2017.
Nine dismembered bodies — with as many as 240 bone parts stashed in coolers and toolboxes — had been sprinkled with cat litter in a bid to hide the evidence.
Shiraishi has admitted the crimes, telling the court last month: “I’m ready to admit my guilt and incur the punishment without appealing to a high court.”
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
RSS