The potential dangers of social media can be said to have come to light again. The lessons learned from this incident must be utilized to prevent similar crimes.
A lay judge trial over the alleged murders of nine people in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2017 has begun at the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court. Takahiro Shiraishi, who has been charged with robbery, forced sexual intercourse and murder, among other acts, pleaded guilty to all charges at the start of his trial.
The victims were women and a man aged from 15 to 26 who had posted messages on social media, such as, "I want to die." Shiraishi allegedly invited them into his apartment, making such remarks as, "Let's die together."
In the opening statement, prosecutors said that the defendant, believing that he could easily control women who were suicidal, began posting messages under the guise of someone who also wanted to kill himself. When he judged that they would not give him money, he inflicted violence on them and killed them, taking what money they had.
If true, it was an unforgivable series of crimes that took advantage of the victims' worries and wavering feelings.
Meanwhile, the defense claims that all nine victims had consented to being murdered, and therefore Shiraishi was guilty of no more than homicide with consent, which leads to a relatively light penalty.
The trial is expected to last for 2-1/2 months until a ruling scheduled for Dec. 15. The court will need to devise ways to reduce the physical and mental burden on lay judges.
The crime had a cruel modus operandi, such as cutting the bodies into pieces with a kitchen knife and other tools. The court plans to replace the pictures of the bodies with illustrations so that lay judges will not be shocked when they look at evidence.
The trial needs to be conducted in such a way that the gravity of the case is correctly conveyed, while giving consideration to the mental burden placed on lay judges.
In this case, the number of victims is large and there will be a lot of evidence. To prevent confusion among lay judges, the victims will be divided into three groups and prosecutors will present their opinions on each group. This approach is commendable as it will help lay judges understand the murder case.
In recent years, the number of young people who meet strangers on social media and become involved in crimes has been increasing. In the trial, the details of how the defendant cajoled the victims in a skilled manner will be revealed. Preventive measures need to be taken with those details in mind so that young people will not be taken in with alluring words.
The internet is full of posts suggesting suicide. Since the incident, the government and social media platforms have tightened their surveillance and expanded their counseling services, but their efforts cannot catch up with the reality of the situation.
Some experts say that a message like "I want to die" is a reflection of a person's desire for help and for someone to listen to them.
It is important to establish as soon as possible a system in which people who complain of difficulties in life can be connected to reliable counseling services before they come into contact with criminals.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 2, 2020.
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