Teenage girl's death puts damning spotlight on 'hostage justice' system in Japan
The death of a 16-year-old girl following an 18-day detention has sparked intense criticism of Japan's 'hostage justice' system. Critics and government officials are calling for reforms to the practice of prolonged detention used to secure confessions, citing the high risk of wrongful accusations.
Why it matters
This case highlights significant human rights concerns regarding judicial practices and the potential for systemic abuse within the Japanese legal system.
Warning: This article discusses a severe eating disorder and includes a photograph of an emaciated teenage girl in hospital.
On an early morning last June, Nami* got a call telling her police were taking in her 16-year-old daughter, Runa*.
It would be 18 days before she saw Runa again.
"I told the police that I'd be there within 30 minutes and asked them to wait for me," recalled Nami, a mother from the Hyogo region of Japan.
"The police officer said they understood, but by the time I rushed to the scene, my daughter was already gone. They'd taken her away."
When Runa was released by police, she was emaciated and "unrecognisable", Nami said.
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