Court’s verdict will be based on evidence, not public opinion

JIANG GE, a 24-year-old Chinese student, was killed in the corridor outside the door of her apartment in Tokyo one year ago. She was reportedly attacked by a Chinese student surnamed Chen, while trying to defend his ex-girlfriend, Liu Xin. More than 1.5 million people have signed a petition supporting Jiang’s mother who is seeking the death penalty in Chen’s trial. The verdict is due to be delivered by a Japanese court on Dec 11. Thepaper.cn comments:

Although Jiang’s case has caught wide attention on social media in China, partly because of the participation of some we media celebrities who have blamed Liu for refusing to comfort Jiang’s mother over the past year, public anger against Chen and Liu and the people’s sympathy for the victim’s mother, who raised Jiang as a single parent, will not sway the court’s decision, which will be based on the evidence presented.

And, even if Chen is found guilty, although the death penalty has not been cancelled in Japan, it involves a very strict and complicated procedure to deliver the death sentence, which is meted out only in some extremely grave cases. No one was sentenced to death in the country last year. And past experience suggests that if a guilty verdict is delivered, Chen is likely to be sentenced to 20 years in prison.

That some people say that more than 330,000 signatures can ensure the death penalty shows their lack of understanding of the judicial and legal systems in Japan.

The signature campaign seeking the death penalty for Chen that Jiang’s mother initiated on the internet will make no difference to the court’s final ruling.

While Jiang’s mother may have reason to incite public anger online against Liu and her family after losing her daughter, those who have signed the petition have no excuse for trying to act as both judge and jury.

And according to the General Provisions of Civil Law of China, if Jiang’s death is recognized by the court as being due to her trying to help another, Liu will have a legal obligation to compensate her mother.