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JAPAN EXECUTES “TWITTER KILLER” TAKAHIRO SHIRAISHI FOR MURDERING 9 PEOPLE

Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, a 34-year-old man known as the “Twitter killer” who was convicted of murdering and dismembering nine people, mostly women, in a gruesome case that shocked the nation. Shiraishi was hanged on Friday at the Tokyo Detention House. Shiraishi was sentenced to death in 2020 after pleading guilty to killing the nine victims, aged between 15 and 26, who had expressed suicidal thoughts on social media. He would contact them through Twitter, promising to help them die, and then murder them in his apartment. “I understand it is an especially heartbreaking case for both the victims and their families,” Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said at a press conference. “This case, driven by selfish motives such as sexual and financial gratification, resulted in the deaths of nine individuals over two months – a deeply serious incident that has caused shock and anxiety across society.” Shiraishi’s execution is the first in Japan since July 2022. In Japan, the death penalty is delivered by hanging, with execution dates not made public until after the penalty is carried out. Executions are shrouded in secrecy, with little to no warning, and families and lawyers are usually notified only after the execution has taken place. The father of one of Shiraishi’s victims expressed mixed feelings about the execution, saying he would have preferred to see Shiraishi spend his life reflecting on his crimes rather than losing it through the death penalty. “The death sentence was finalized following a thorough trial process. After careful and deliberate consideration of all factors, I issued the execution order,” Suzuki said. Shiraishi’s case raised concerns about the use of social media and the potential for exploitation by predators. His arrest in 2017 sparked a national conversation about the need for greater online safety and protection for vulnerable individuals.