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After acquittal of ex-death row inmate, debate needed on Japan's death penalty

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Japan should be ensuring the safety of its citizens, but instead it is taking people's lives. Is it acceptable to maintain the ultimate penalty under such circumstances? This is a serious question for society. The acquittal of 88-year-old Iwao Hakamada, who had been handed the death penalty, has been finalized after prosecutors decided not to appeal the verdict issued by the Shizuoka District Court during his retrial.

China: Court rejects death sentence appeal of policeman who shot pregnant woman dead, injured husband

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Chinese police officers rehearsing
lethal injection procedures
GUIGANG, Guangxi, April 9 (Xinhua) -- A court on Wednesday rejected the appeal of a former policeman who was given a death sentence for shooting a pregnant woman dead in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The Higher People's Court of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region upheld the verdict handed down to Hu Ping, who was sentenced to death for intentional homicide at his first trial in February.

Guigang Intermediate People's Court heard the case publicly on Feb. 13.Hu was also ordered to pay 73,324 yuan (12,091 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the victim's family at the first trial.

A police investigation found that Hu, 34, was drunk when he shot the woman and her husband, who ran a rice noodle restaurant, on Oct. 28 in Pingnan County.

The husband, Cai Shiyong, sustained minor injuries to his right shoulder. His wife, Wu Ying, and their unborn child died after being shot twice by Hu.

COURT RULING

In his defense during the the appeal hearing held on April 1, Hu denied that he shot three times as prosecutors alleged. He also argued the firearm residue on Cai's sleeve proved he had tried to grab the gun, which caused it to discharge accidentally.

During Wednesday's public trial, the Higher People's Court denied his arguments as several witnesses testified that Cai had not attempted to grab the gun until after his wife had been shot.

The court also rejected the request of Hu's lawyer's for new evaluation on Hu's mental state when the shooting occurred. The lawyer believed Hu was too drunk to be aware of his behavior.

An examination report by the Fifth People's Hospital of Nanning showed that Hu was drunk but in control.

According to the court, Hu, as a policeman, first violated the regulations on gun control by carrying a gun to a dinner party and getting drunk. Then he committed crimes by shooting innocent people and leaving one dead and the other injured, according to the Higher People's Court.

Hu's crime employed "exceptionally cruel methods" and caused "abominable influence on society," said the court.


Source: Xinhua, April 9, 2014
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