The Fukuoka District Court has declined a request for a retrial in the 1992 murder case of two girls in Fukuoka prefecture, where the death row convict had already been executed. The court rejected the second retrial request related to the notorious Iizuka incident, in which two young school girls were tragically killed.
The convicted offender, Michitoshi Kuma, was put to death at the age of 70 in 2008 after being found guilty of the murder. The defense team plans to appeal against this latest decision. It is noteworthy that in Japan, no case has been reviewed after the execution of the convict.
This refusal of the retrial request has stirred controversy and raised questions about the effectiveness of the judicial system. The families of the victims and the advocates for the convict continue to seek justice and closure in this long-standing case.