Lucy Blackman

What is especially stunning about the acquittal of the suspect in Ms. Blackman's murder is the fact that in Japan over 99% of suspects indicted are found guilty. If someone is arrested and charged with a crime, it is pretty much over for the person in Japan's legal system. He/she is going to jail.

In this case, the suspect is still going to jail for life as he was convicted in other nine other rape cases. What this says is that the prosecution (and police investigation) must have been unbelievably poorly done. How could a prosecutor of any competence fail to get a conviction in a country where 99% of the time they succeed? The court said that though the defendant may have been guilty of her murder, the prosecution did not provide conclusive evidence.