Death row inmate dies of pneumonia

Monday 05th January, 05:29 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

12 Comments

MeanRingo at 07:41 AM JST - 5th January

Does someone get in trouble over this? Should they be taking measures to ensure their charges are healthy before they kill them? I can't help but wonder if this isn't some sort of victory for opponents of the death penalty. Is it?
Starviking at 08:06 AM JST - 5th January

@MeanRingo

Prisoners in Japan are the lowest of the low, in the eyes of society. That's why guards can get away with a suspended sentence for killing them, as happened in the Nagoya Prison Case of 2001.
shiuu at 08:18 AM JST - 5th January

That. Settles. That.
some14some at 08:21 AM JST - 5th January

"We did not hang him", doubt if 'probably pneumonia' will comfort South Korea.
UnagiDon at 09:11 AM JST - 5th January

If he caught it from one of the guards, could it still be construed as capital punishment?
herefornow at 09:33 AM JST - 5th January

Inhuman. No excuse for this.
techall at 11:12 AM JST - 5th January

What's inhuman about it? People get viral pneumonia and die all the time. What was inhuman was this guy killing a former girl friend and a cabbie. He was convicted on evidence, not a forced confession. So God decided to end his stay here on earth.
JapanHusker at 11:30 AM JST - 5th January

The only tragedy here is that the victims' families did not get the satisfaction of knowing there was a distinct "crack" of the neck when the rope was stretched. He got off easy - he died in his sleep. Pity.
almxx at 02:37 PM JST - 5th January

Convicted in 1995, dies in prison in 2008. It looks like your justice system is as screwed up as the U.S.A..I think the states should take the law into their own hands as quickly as criminals do. Is there some prison supply business the taxpayers love supporting? I guess we sucker taxpayers have nothing to say about it.
herefornow at 05:32 PM JST - 5th January

techall -- it is inhuman to allow any human being to die simply due to lack of simple attention to their needs. The fact that he was a murderer is irrelevant. What he did was inhuman -- no question. But so was the actions, or lack of actions, by the prison staff.
BBLeo at 05:40 PM JST - 5th January

Waiting for 14 years to be executed is a very long time, no wonder that he got ill. There is mention of that he was given 'antibiotics.' were they prescribed by 'Doctor or guards in jail?' You just don't hand out such medication before you examine ill person. Will Japan keep informing us again on this case? I smell the 'rat.'
techall at 11:38 PM JST - 5th January

herefornow: according to the article he developed a fever, they gave him antibiotics. It seems like they A did take some action. We can only assume they were prescribed by a physician or medically trained person, as BBleo says, you don't just hand out antibiotics and often the patient does not respond to the treatment. A personal friend of mine went from perfectlly fine to a state of coma in a matter of hours with pneumonia so it can be really really fast.