大川原おおかわら化工かこう機き冤罪えんざい事件じけん 遺族いぞくに警視庁けいしちょうと検察庁けんさつちょうの幹部かんぶ 直接ちょくせつ謝罪しゃざい

In the case of the wrongful accusation involving Okawara Kakoki in Yokohama, senior officials from the Metropolitan Police Department and the prosecutors directly apologized on the 25th to the family of the former advisor, who was found to have cancer while in detention and passed away before his innocence was proven.

In a wrongful conviction case where three people, including the president of “Okawara Kakoki” in Yokohama City, were arrested and later proven innocent, former advisor Shizuo Aijima was diagnosed with cancer while in detention but was not granted bail, and died at the age of 72.

On the 25th, Tetsurou Kamata, Deputy Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department; Hiroshi Ichikawa, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office; and Takashi Koike, Director of the Public Security Department of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, visited Mr. Aijimas grave in Yokohama. With the bereaved family watching, they put their hands together and bowed their heads.

Mr. Aijimas wife read aloud a letter addressed to the warden of the Tokyo Detention Center, requesting that her husband be allowed to receive medical treatment since his request for bail was denied, and appealed to senior officials, saying things like, Please, at least save his life.

After this, the three deeply bowed their heads to Mr. Aijimas wife, eldest son, and second son, and said, We deeply apologize for the unlawful arrest and prosecution.

I sincerely apologize, he said.

In response to this, Mr. Aijimas wife said, I accept your apology, but I can never forgive you.

When my husband was allowed to see me, he was furious and said, Why do I have to go through this when I havent done anything wrong?

On top of that, the bereaved families requested a review, stating that the investigation results released by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office on the 7th of this month were insufficient in pursuing the cause, and that the disciplinary actions against the police officers and prosecutors were too lenient and unacceptable.

On the morning of the 25th, senior officials from the Metropolitan Police Department and the prosecutors visited Mr. Aijimas grave, where they joined their hands and bowed their heads in front of his family.

At the graveside, Mr. Aijimas wife read aloud a letter she had written to the head of the detention center after Mr. Aijima was diagnosed with cancer.

In the letter, it says, My husband is growing weaker day by day in the detention center, suffering from severe anemia, his face pale, and he is in such a condition that he cannot even stand.

My whole family is so worried that we cant sleep at night.

I cant bear the thought that my husband might just be left to die like this—Im going crazy with worry, she pleaded, adding, Please allow him to receive examinations and treatment inside the detention center.

Please make it possible for me to go to an external hospital.

Please spare my life.

We, the entire family, sincerely ask for your help.

They were pleading, Please, please help me, seeking an opportunity to receive proper treatment.

After reading it aloud, when Mr. Aijimas wife asked, What would you do if you were in this position? Hiroshi Ichikawa, Deputy Prosecutor of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, said, Thinking about the feelings of the family, and also putting myself in their place, I am at a loss for words as to how much pain they must have felt.

I sincerely take the content of the letter to heart, and regarding bail requests for those who are being detained, of course I will continue to pay attention to their health, but I intend to proceed even more carefully, he replied, bowing his head.