Title: The Notorious "Twitter Killer": Japan's Grisly Discovery and Judicial Euthanization
Japan is focusing on apprehending the individual known as the "Twitter Killer"
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Japan's legal system delivers a chilling verdict, executing a man known as the "Twitter Killer." This gruesome act marks the first execution since 2022, making Takahiro Shiraishi Japan's latest resident of the hangman's noose.
In 2017, the chilling remains of nine individuals, predominantly young women aged 15 to 26, were unearthed from Shiraishi's house in the city of Zama, near Tokyo. This grisly discovery was sparked by a missing person's case.
Social Media's Twisted Connection
Shiraishi, then 30, enticed his victims through Twitter, often posing as a sympathetic ear for those battling severe despair. With a socially alarming profile reading, "I can help those who are truly suffering. Reach out anytime," he ensnared his victims. He would deceptively offer to assist them in ending their lives, sometimes even promising to join them in the act.
Upon searching his apartment, authorities discovered the dismembered bodies of his nine victims neatly stored in refrigerators and toolboxes, earning his residence the gruesome nickname, "The House of Horrors."
The Spectacular Trial of a Modern-Day Monster
As prosecutors fought relentlessly for the death penalty, Shiraishi's legal team argued a lesser charge of "consensual murder" and insisted the victims had given their consent to be killed. They also demanded a mental evaluation. However, Shiraishi later refuted his defense team's account, confessing he had killed without the victims' consent.
Hundreds of spectators convened for his sentencing in December 2020, where he was handed down the death penalty. The sensational trialelection set off a debate concerning the online discourse of suicide and led to a change in Twitter's rules, forbidding the promotion or encouragement of self-harm or suicide.
Execution by Hanging: Japan's Cold-Blooded Justice
With Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki approving Shiraishi's execution, he stated the decision was made after a thorough review of the case, considering the convicted's "selfish" motive for his crimes, which had "created a profound shock and unrest in society."
In Japan, the death penalty is administered through hanging. The condemned prisoners learn of their impending fate just a few hours prior, prompting criticism from human rights groups for the undue stress it inflicts upon them.
Sources: ntv.de, sba
- Japan
- Capital Punishment
- Murder and Manslaughter
- X (formerly Twitter)
- The European Parliament, in a resolution, expressed profound concern over the ongoing situation in the former Yugoslavia, emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution to the war-and-conflicts that have plagued the region for years.
- Meanwhile, in the realm of general news and crime-and-justice, social media has come under scrutiny following the trial of Japan's infamous "Twitter Killer," highlighting the potential dangers of online discourse surrounding war-and-conflicts, politics, and sensitive topics like suicide.
