On November 25th, Japan executed Takahiro Shiraishi, a man who took the lives of nine individuals in 2017, marking the country’s first use of capital punishment since 2022. This series of brutal murders committed by Shiraishi, who was dubbed the “Twitter killer,” sparked a nationwide debate on how suicide discussions should be handled on social media.
Back in 2017, Shiraishi, then aged 30, enticed mostly young women between the ages of 15 and 26 to his apartment, where he would strangle and dismember them. The crime came to light in October 2017 after police discovered human body parts during their search for a missing victim in the Japanese city of Zama, near Tokyo.
Warning: Potential distressing details ahead.
Shiraishi confessed to murdering nine victims, all of whom were contemplating suicide, and shared that he got to know them on Twitter, now known as X. He lured them with false promises of helping them end their lives, and in some cases, even claimed he would die alongside them. His Twitter profile explicitly stated his intentions: “I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime.”
During a search of Shiraishi’s flat, police found nine dismembered bodies in coolers and toolboxes, a scene described in the media as a “house of horrors.” The prosecutor sought the death penalty for Shiraishi, but his defense lawyers argued for “murder with consent,” claiming the victims agreed to be killed. The lawyers also requested a psychological evaluation of Shiraishi.
However, Shiraishi later dismissed his defense team’s account and insisted that he committed the murders without the victims’ consent. In December 2020, hundreds of people attended his verdict hearing, and ultimately, he was sentenced to death.
The murders also led Twitter to amend its rules, making it explicit that users should not promote or encourage suicide or self-harm.
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y05dk2p92o
