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Article: Why Japan Still Has the Death Penalty [Correction 2/1/05]
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 16, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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There is a place in the advanced industrial world where people are
regularly sentenced to death, and executed, for their crimes. Some of
the condemned deny their guilt -- and there are confirmed cases of
mistakes in sentencing. But government officials say the system
delivers retribution and deterrence fairly and efficiently.
This place is not Texas. It is Japan -- the only industrial
democracy other than our own that still regularly executes convicted
murderers. In 2004, the Japanese conducted two executions by hanging,
the sole method employed there. In some years, the rate is double or
triple that. This is nowhere near the rate in the United States,
where 59 convicted murderers were put ...