Japan hangs 'Twitter killer' in first execution since 2022

Japan hangs 'Twitter killer' in first execution since 2022
Takahiro Shiraishi covers his face inside a police car in Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 2017 and released by Kyodo on Dec 15, 2020.
PHOTO: Reuters file

TOKYO - Japan executed a man on Friday (June 27) who killed nine people after contacting them on social media, the first use of capital punishment in the country in nearly three years.

Takahiro Shiraishi had been sentenced to death for his 2017 strangling and dismembering of eight women and one man in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo. He was dubbed the "Twitter killer" as he contacted victims via the social media platform.

Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised Shiraishi's hanging, said he made the decision after careful examination, taking into account the convict's "extremely selfish" motive for crimes that "caused great shock and unrest to society."

It followed the execution in July 2022 of a man who went on a stabbing rampage in Tokyo's shopping district Akihabara in 2008.

It was also the first time a death penalty was carried out since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government was inaugurated last October.

In September last year, a Japanese court acquitted Iwao Hakamada, who had spent the world's longest time on death row after a wrongful conviction for crimes committed nearly 60 years ago.

Capital punishment is carried out by hanging in Japan and prisoners are notified of their execution hours before it is carried out, which has long been decried by human rights groups for the stress it puts on death-row prisoners.

"It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed," Suzuki told a press conference. There are currently 105 death row inmates in Japan, he added.

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    Roblox avatar and lantern: Star Awards 2025 looks that made us go 'huh?'
    Our favourite Star Awards 2025 looks: Who served sparkles, aura and body?
    From blogger to Singapore's top influencer: Naomi Neo celebrates 1m Instagram followers after 14 years
    Chantalle Ng wins 4th Star Awards' My Pick Awards! Favourite CP
    Christopher Lee, Cynthia Koh, Chantalle Ng among Star Awards 2025 winners
    Is it possible to design an entire home in 10 hours? I took up the challenge in one mall
    Long time no see! Sharon Au, Li Nanxing, Yvonne Lim and others return to Star Awards stage
    Woman injured on SMRT bus after bottle thrown at vehicle shatters window
    'Keep going, don't give up': Yvonne Lim and Pornsak win All-Time Favourite Artiste awards
    Hot dog survives locker ordeal at Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle
    VEP enforcement begins - what every Singaporean driver needs to know
    MPs should not ask questions to 'clock numbers'; focus should be improving Singaporeans' lives: Seah Kian Peng

Singapore

Singapore
    • 'Intimacy was not anything sexual', says man who drove car with lover's husband on bonnet
    • HDB to launch first BTO project in Sembawang North in July offering 775 units
    • NDP 2025: Red Lions and naval divers to jump at two separate locations in celebration of SG60
    • Closer economic integration key to Asean's stability and transformation: PM Wong
    • Eligible Singaporeans to receive up to $850 cash, $450 MediSave top-ups in August
    • Singaporean drivers rack up over $17k in fines for VEP violations in 5 days
    • Singaporean gets surprise help from Malaysian police after flat tyre
    • From Turf City to West Coast: Construction begins on 6 Cross Island Line MRT stations
    • Regular training to be mandatory for adult educators under new SkillsFuture guidelines
    • Lions stalwart Safuwan Baharudin returns to the Singapore Premier League after 14 years

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • Gossip mill: Angelababy and son seen at Universal Studios Singapore, former K-pop idol dies of leukaemia at 23, Marcus Chin explains bloodied mouth at charity show
    • BTS confirm their return with new album and world tour
    • 'This is torture': Elvin Ng details gruelling experience with prosthetic makeup for new drama
    • Local indie film We Can Save The World!!! starring Noah Yap to premiere at New York Asian Film Festival in July
    • 'Give the award to me first': Marcus Chin says suspense in Star Awards' top 10 popularity awards is bad for his weak heart
    • Henry Cavill refused to give David Corenswet advice about playing Superman
    • Shakira donates portion of show proceeds to help victims of deadly Texas floods
    • Kelly Osbourne engaged to Slipknot's Sid Wilson
    • No phones allowed: Amal Clooney has a basket for friends who visit to forfeit their devices
    • 'It's monumental': Liam Gallagher's son 'can't wait' to see his dad back performing with Oasis

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Uniqlo to debut Labubu collection in September, here's what to expect
    • Hong Kong's Michelin Bib Gourmand Mak Man Kee Wonton Noodles to debut in Singapore
    • There's 'mum guilt', but what about dads? As fatherhood loomed, one man felt guilt and 'grief'
    • More opportunity than threat: Singapore employees generally positive about using AI at work, Randstad study finds
    • From Singlish-themed cups to T-shirts repping our neighbourhoods: Here are some SG60 collections to look out for
    • Where to get cheap haircuts in Singapore (2025 update): Kcuts, Snip Avenue, Kimage Hairdressing School and more
    • Why more young families are moving to Pasir Ris (hint: it's not just about the new EC)
    • Best hotel buffets in Singapore for breakfast, lunch and dinner feasts
    • They paid rent on time - and still got evicted. Here's the messy truth about subletting in Singapore
    • From curiosity to passion: How these primary school students found their calling in ballroom dancing

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool
    • Home Team humanoid robots to be deployed by mid-2027, $100m to be invested: Josephine Teo

Money

Money
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (June 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Trump says alignment with BRICS' 'anti-American policies' to invite additional 10% tariffs
    • Regulators warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records
    • Higher seller's stamp duty a 'light touch' to curb property flipping: Experts
    • Trump tax bill averts one debt crisis but makes future financial woes worse
    • Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4
    • Trump escalates feud with Musk, threatens Tesla, SpaceX support
    • Online groceries in Singapore: Which supermarket has the cheapest delivery fees?
    • Laundry services in Singapore: Price comparison of 8 affordable laundromats (2025)
    • 9 free budgeting apps to help you manage your expenses (2025)

Latest

Latest
  • 12 Turkish soldiers killed by gas exposure during cave search in northern Iraq
  • South Korea's balloon crackdown hits anti-North Korea activists
  • Australian Erin Patterson convicted of mushroom murders
  • Typhoon Danas lashes southern Taiwan with record winds, injuring hundreds
  • From Karachi to Gaza: Pakistani startup ships prosthetics to child war survivors
  • Japan to export used destroyers to Philippines to deter China, Yomiuri reports
  • Israel to issue 54,000 call-up notices to ultra-Orthodox students
  • 1 dies in violent storm pounding Milan
  • First indirect Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks ended inconclusively, Palestinian sources say

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Boy, 9, has kidney removed after falling at Bukit Batok playground
  • 'We just want our money': Income Insurance shareholders disappointed at failed Allianz deal
  • Buying property in Malaysia as a Singaporean: 6 key restrictions to be aware of
  • 'I thought it was just firecrackers', says eyewitness after man fatally shot multiple times inside vehicle in Malaysia
  • Malaysian dad in tears after 11 children pool together to buy him new SUV
  • Not nominated for Star Awards' Best Audio Personality but Dennis Chew says The Breakfast Quartet 'should be confident of ourselves'
  • Cyclist hit by bullet slug in nature reserve may have tried to cover his tracks from authorities
  • 'I just wanted a piece of nostalgia': Hundreds turn up at adoption drive to collect remaining Yale-NUS books
  • 'Does your gun have bullets?' Malaysian man tries to touch auxiliary officer's weapon at Woodlands Checkpoint, gets jail
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.