The “Twitter killer” executed by hanging in Japan

Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, was hanged for killing nine people, including eight women, after having contacted them via the social network now called X.

A sentenced to death. Consequently, nicknamed the “Twitter killer”, was executed by hanging Friday in Japan, the first application of the capital punishment since July 2022 in the country, for the one who had murdered and dismembered nine people met online.

Takahiro Shiraishi. In addition, 34, was hanged for killing nine people, including eight women, after having contacted them via the social network now called X.

The man aimed at Internet users who mentioned online suicidal projects by telling them that he could help them. Similarly, and even die alongside them.

The Minister of Justice, Keisuke Suzuki, said on Friday at a press conference in Tokyo, that the crimes of Mr. Meanwhile, Shiraishi, committed in 2017, included in particular “theft, rape, murder “twitter killer” executed hanging japan … Therefore, Destruction and abandonment of corpse”.

“The nine victims were beaten and strangled, killed, stolen, then mutilated. For example, Parties of their bodies were hidden in boxes, other throws in a discharge,” said Suzuki.

According to him. the assassin acted “to selfishly satisfy his sexual and financial desires”, by murders who “deeply shocked and worried society”.

“After an in-depth reflection, I ordered its execution,” he concluded.

House of horrors – "twitter killer" executed hanging japan

After having attracted them to his small apartment in Zama. in the large southwest suburbs of Tokyo, Shiraishi had killed his victims and dismembered the corpses.

On October 31. 2017, the police discovered a real house of horrors at his house: 240 pieces of human remains hidden in coolers and tool boxes, sprinkled with cat litter to try to hide the smells of putrefaction.

Cissals, knives, saw and various carpentry tools had been found at his home.

Police had finally arrested her when she “twitter killer” executed hanging japan was investigating the disappearance of a 23 -year -old woman. whose brother had been able to connect to his Twitter account. He had noticed on the exchange platform with a suspicious account. Which had proven to be one of those used by Mr. Shiraishi to present himself as a “professional executioner”.

He had been sentenced to death in 2020 for the murders of his nine victims, aged 15 to 26.

During the trial. his lawyers had argued for life, believing that his victims had expressed suicidal thoughts on social networks, and had thus agreed to their death.

The court had not retained this argument. judging that the case “provoked great anxiety in society”, and had condemned it to the death penalty by hanging, the only practice used in Japan for capital punishment. He had given up appealing.

“The dignity of the victims has been trampled on,” said the magistrate, adding that Mr. “twitter killer” executed hanging japan Shiraishi attacked “psychologically fragile” people.

About 100 death row

This case had shocked Japan. a country where the crime rate is very low, and had also had a strong international impact.

The “Twitter killer” affair. as the Japanese press had nicknamed it, had rekindled debates on the control of social networks in Japan as well as on suicide and its prevention. Japan has the highest suicide rate among the industrialized countries of the G7.

About 100 prisoners sentenced to death are currently waiting for the execution of their sentence. among them 49 have asked for a new trial, Minister Keisuke Suzuki said on Friday.

Japanese law stipulates that executions must take place within six months after the exhaustion of all remedies.

In fact, convicted people often remain years or even decades, pending their execution, under conditions of strict isolation.

Japan. the United States are the only G7 countries to apply the death penalty, usually for “twitter killer” executed hanging japan people sentenced for multiple homicides.

The authorities justify its maintenance by the support it enjoys among the population. despite criticism from abroad, in particular human rights organizations.

The last execution in Japan dates back to July 2022. with the hanging of Tomohiro Kato, convicted of having killed seven people in 2008 in Akihabara by rushing on the crowd with a truck before stabbing passers -by.