Violent offenders in Japan are increasingly seeking the notoriety that comes with being sentenced to death for their crimes When Kyota Hattori was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder aboard a Tokyo train on Oct. 31, he had an unsettling confession. It was his intention, the 25-year-old allegedly told police, to stab a passenger to death, and he was fully aware of his actions when he subsequently set a train carriage ablaze using lighter fluid he had carried with him. His aim was to commit multiple homicides because he knew the likely outcome. “I wanted to get the death penalty,” Hattori reportedly told police. With multiple murders a criterion for execution in Japan, the incident raised questions about how the death sentence is — and should be — meted out, and concerns about whether Hattori’s rationale indicated the presence, or absence, of responsibility, not to mention the possibility of copycat crimes should his wishes be granted. Indeed, such a copycat offense quickly surface...
Striving for a World without Capital Punishment