January 24, 2025
TOKYO – There is no end of people online getting hurt by others’ malice. Heartless expressions can sometimes even cause someone to take their own life. And when there is a flood of comments that go so far as to insult the dead, the situation cannot be ignored.
A former member of the Hyogo prefectural assembly, who was part of the assembly’s committee under Article 100 of the Local Government Law to investigate allegations of workplace bullying and other matters involving Gov. Motohiko Saito, has been found dead. It is believed that he committed suicide.
Footage of the former assembly member questioning Saito during a committee meeting circulated on social media, prompting numerous posts slandering him and harassing phone calls. He reportedly felt that his safety and that of his family was threatened, and said: “I don’t know who might come to my house. I’m scared.”
This is not the first death in connection with the allegations involving the Hyogo prefectural government. The situation can be described as extremely serious and abnormal.
During his stump speeches, Takashi Tachibana, leader of the NHK Party political group, encouraged the audience to tell him the whereabouts of the former assembly member. He suggested he would visit the former member’s house.
What is worse, Tachibana posted a video after the former assembly member’s death in which he claimed that the former member had been “facing arrest,” suggesting he took his own life possibly because he was distressed about the possibility of being arrested.
However, the chief of the Hyogo prefectural police headquarters denied Tachibana’s claims during a meeting at the prefectural assembly, calling them “totally groundless.” It is extremely unusual for the head of a police department to use an occasion like this to reveal information on investigations. The chief apparently found Tachibana’s claims unacceptable.
After the response by the prefectural police, Tachibana deleted the video in question and offered an apology. However, this is not something that can be settled with a simple apology.
Tachibana’s posts have been circulated by many people, resulting in serious defamation of the former assembly member. Tachibana, as well as the social media users who carelessly spread his false allegations, bears a heavy responsibility. One needs to be aware that under the Penal Code a defamation charge can be sustained in cases involving the dead as well.
During the Hyogo gubernatorial election, there was deepening conflict between pro-Saito and anti-Saito people, which led to the prefectural assembly being targeted in harsh verbal attacks due to it pursuing the allegations against Saito.
Sound criticism is different from defamation. It is, of course, good to offer constructive criticism of policies and other matters. However, it is unforgivable to demean someone as a person or to hurl threatening words at them. Freedom of speech comes with responsibility. There can be no such thing as a freedom to hurt others.
In Tachibana’s case, the explanations from the Hyogo prefectural police have made it clear that what he said in his posts was baseless. However, there are not a few posts on social media that many people believe are true even though they are of uncertain veracity. It is urgent to take measures against false information, in addition to defamation.
A law will soon come into effect requiring social media operators to take immediate action against defamation and other serious issues. They must not allow these problematic posts to go unchecked, but rather must be strict in their response against them.