In Japan’s Shizuoka region, the police apologized for the wrongful arrest of Iwao Hakamada accused of murder. After a 58-year-long battle for justice since 1966, Hakamada was finally released and declared innocent.

In Japan, the police apologized for the wrong investigation that led to 58 years of wrongful accusations and awaiting the death penalty for a person accused of murder.

The police chief of the Shizuoka region in Japan, Takayoshi Tsuda, visited Iwao Hakamada’s house yesterday to apologize for the wrongful arrest and investigation both to Hakamada and his sister, Hideko. Tsuda stated, “We caused you indescribable anxiety and burden for the 58 years from your arrest to when your innocence was proven. We are truly sorry. We will make efforts to ensure that our investigations are more thorough and fair.” Hideko responded to the police, saying, “This happened 58 years ago. We believe everything is our fate. We will not make any complaints to the police anymore.” Hakamada was arrested in 1966 on charges of killing four people. After being sentenced to death, his sister Hideko applied for his retrial for years. In 2014, the local court suspended Hakamada’s death penalty and ordered a retrial, leading to Hakamada’s release. Hakamada was declared innocent as a result of the retrial on September 26th.