Key facts
- A mother has sued Japanese authorities seeking 100 million yen (US$623,000) in compensation.
- The lawsuit follows the death of her 16-year-old daughter, Runa, who died in December from emaciation.
- Runa was detained for 18 days and allegedly subjected to coercive interrogations.
- The complaint alleges Runa suffered trauma from the ordeal, leading to her death.
- The case is being described as a tragic example of Japan's "hostage justice" system.
A mother has filed a lawsuit with western Japan’s Kobe district court seeking 100 million yen (US$623,000) in compensation after her 16-year-old daughter, Runa, died from emaciation five months after an 18-day detention. The complaint alleges that Runa, who maintained her innocence, was traumatised by menacing interrogations and denied family access, leading to severe weight loss and ultimately her death in December.
Campaigners and rights bodies have repeatedly criticized Japan's criminal justice system, often referred to as "hostage justice," for its reliance on confessions and lengthy pre-trial detentions. Runa was arrested in June last year for allegedly assaulting a patient at a care facility, an act she maintained was a gentle intervention. Despite her claims of innocence and no prior history of delinquency, prosecutors reportedly extended her detention twice while blocking her lawyer's attempts to secure her release.
According to Masahiro Sasaki, a lawyer for Runa's mother, investigators threatened Runa with reformatory and the prospect of not seeing her mother if she did not confess. Runa was diagnosed with acute stress, eating, and post-traumatic stress disorders as a result of the ordeal. Her release only occurred after she vomited, collapsed, and received medical attention, leading to a non-prosecution decision. The Kobe District Public Prosecutors’ Office stated they had not yet received the complaint. The case draws parallels to that of Iwao Hakamada, a former death-row inmate whose convictions were quashed after confessions made during interrogations deemed "inhumane" by the Supreme Court.