Asahi: Critics blast first partial police recording of confession
Chiba prefectural police recorded part of the interrogation of a criminal suspect Tuesday on a trial basis, the first police organization to do so. But critics said the partial recording will do nothing to stop police from resorting to inappropriate questioning to coerce confessions out of suspects... Chiba prefectural police recorded about 20 minutes of the questioning process of a male suspect from 11 a.m. Tuesday at a police station. The man was arrested on the spot on suspicion of rape and inflicting injuries...The DVD recording showed: an investigator reading out a written confession from the suspect; the suspect signing and giving a thumb print on the paper; and the investigator asking if the suspect had anything to add... Lawyers and those wrongly charged said the partial taping does not make clear the process that led to the confession and will fail to prevent improper questioning by law enforcement authorities...A senior NPA official said full recordings would have a detrimental effect on investigations...more...