“I’d rather have seen him spend his life reflecting on the crimes he committed, than simply losing it through the death penalty.”
Shiraishi’s hanging has reignited debates in Japan about the use of capital punishment, especially after Iwao Hakamada, the world’s longest-serving death-row inmate, was exonerated after 56 years, when evidence was found to have been falsified by police.
Mental Health and Social Media Vulnerability
The case also spotlighted Japan’s ongoing mental health crisis and high suicide rate, which had seen a temporary decline before rising again amid COVID-19-related societal pressures.
“This case is a tragic intersection of untreated mental health issues and the dangers of unregulated online spaces,” said a social welfare advocate in Tokyo.
As Japan grapples with modern challenges such as cybercrime, mental health, and capital punishment, Shiraishi’s crimes remain one of the country’s most disturbing in recent memory.
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