Prison Officers Repetitively Defend Inmates, Japanese Minister Of Justice APOLOGIZED And Inquired Investigations

Nagoya Prison in Japan. (Wikimedia Commons/Ocdp)

JAKARTA - Twenty-two prison officers in Japan have repeatedly attacked inmates from November last year to August 2022, spraying their faces with alcohol, hitting their buttocks with sandals, the Ministry of Justice said Friday.

The three inmates who were attacked at Nagoya Prison were men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, with the oldest suffering injuries near his left temple which took five days to recover, according to the ministry.

Justice Minister Ken Saito apologized to the inmates at Friday's press conference.

"It is completely unacceptable and deeply regrettable that prison officers are involved in such acts," Minister Saito said, citing Kyodo News December 9.

Minister Saito added that he plans to launch an investigation into whether a similar incident occurred at another prison facility nationwide, ordering the formation of a third-party panel of experts.

The suspects, all men, were 17 prison guards in their 20s and five people in their 30s. Of them, 16 have worked for less than three years.

Most have acknowledged the allegations, saying they carried out the measure because the inmates did not follow the instructions and continued to shout demands, according to Minister Saito.

The abuse came to light when another officer filed a report, after paying attention and questioning inmates with injuries near his eyes at the end of August.

The previous harassment incident at Nagoya Prison has resulted in death and injury.

In December 2001, the guard sprayed water into the inmates' rectum with a high pressure tube, which caused the man's death moments later. Meanwhile, in May 2002, a prisoner died of post-traumatic shock after being tied in his stomach with leather handcuffs.

It is known that about 1,200 people were detained in Nagoya Prison at the end of November, about half of the capacity of the facility. Prisons also house foreigners, who have different requirements from Japanese inmates.