Susumu Kitagawa

Summary

Susumu Kitagawa, a Kanagawa Prefectural policeman, was executed by hanging in Osaka on September 15, 2005. He was reported as Japan’s first hanging of the year, and Amnesty International said his execution left 74 people on death row in Japan.

Background

Susumu Kitagawa was reported as being 58 years old. He was described as being from Kochi Prefecture. He was a Kanagawa Prefectural policeman.

The offence

Kitagawa was convicted of killing an 18-year-old woman in 1983 in Chiba Prefecture. He raped and strangled the 18-year-old girl in the city of Chiba and took 15,000 yen from her in August 1983. He was convicted of killing a 24-year-old woman in 1989 in Kochi Prefecture. He raped and murdered the 24-year-old woman in Kochi and took 20,000 yen from her in February 1989. He was also convicted of rape.

Investigation

No investigation details were provided in the supplied material.

Arrest

No arrest details were provided in the supplied material.

Trial

The Supreme Court in February 2000 rejected Kitagawa’s appeal of his sentence.

Sentencing

Kitagawa was convicted and was on death row. The Supreme Court’s rejection in February 2000 meant his death sentence stood at that time.

Appeals

In February 2000, the Supreme Court rejected Kitagawa’s appeal of his sentence.

Outcome

Kitagawa was executed by hanging at a prison in Osaka, reported as the Osaka Detention House. The execution took place on September 15, 2005.

Aftermath

Amnesty International criticized the execution, stating:

"We strongly protest the government's move."

Amnesty International Japan said Kitagawa’s execution left 74 people on death row in Japan and that Japan is one of the few developed countries in the world with the death penalty and it was unaccountable to the public as it did not disclose sufficient information on the deaths. The Justice Ministry only announced that an execution had taken place and how many people had been hanged, a practice begun in November 1998.

The execution’s timing was also criticized by a human rights group, which said it was carried out after Sunday’s House of Representative election and before the Diet was scheduled to convene next Wednesday. The group said:

"We are against the death penalty, as it damages human dignity,"

Go Kajitani, president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, said:

"it was regrettable the execution was carried out despite the association's repeated insistence that hangings be suspended until a thorough national debate on the issue has been held."

The Japan Times reported the execution was the 8th inmate executed since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took office in April 2001. It was also described as the first signed by Chieko Noono, who became justice minister last September. The material also stated it had been about 1 year since the last executions, when Mamoru Takuma went to the gallows for murdering 8 children in Osaka in 2001 in a school attack, and as did triple-murderer mobster Sueo Shinmaki.