In Japan, Takahiro Shiraishi, who brutally murdered nine people and shocked the nation, known in the media as the "Twitter killer" – was finally executed. This was reported by the BBC.
This punishment is noted as the first execution carried out in Japan since 2022.
The terrifying series of murders that took place in 2017 caused panic in Japanese society. 30-year-old Shiraishi had mainly met women aged between 15 to 26 through the social network – Twitter, deceived them, took them to his apartment in the city of Zama, and strangled them to death.
He dismembered the bodies and hid them in freezers and storage containers.
When the police searched the house he was living in, they found parts of nine people's bodies.
Shiraishi had promised to “help them die” to the women knowing that they were fed up with life, positioning himself as an assistant to those wanting to commit suicide. On his Twitter profile, it said:
“I want to help those who are really in pain. Send me a direct message anytime,” – the post read.
During the trial, prosecutors demanded the heaviest punishment – the death penalty.
His defenders argued for a lighter sentence on the grounds that “the victims had consented" to it. However, Shiraishi contradicted his lawyers, admitting that he had killed without the victims' consent.
In December 2020, he was sentenced to death. Hundreds of people attended the court session. His crimes not only had a profound impact on Japanese society but also on Twitter's policies.
Currently, the social network strictly prohibits promoting or encouraging suicide or self-harm among its users.
The death penalty exists in Japan and is usually carried out by hanging. Takahiro Shiraishi was executed in this manner.
