JAPAN. FAMILY'S DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD

March 27, 2008: death sentences were upheld by the Fukuoka High Court in Japan against a yakuza gang boss and his son, ensuring they will join his wife and another son on Death Row.
The court dismissed the appeals by gang boss Jitsuo Kitamura and his son, Takashi, against the lower court ruling that sentenced them to death for committing four murders in 2004.
The high court also upheld execution orders handed down to Kitamura's wife, Mami, and another son, Takahiro, for their roles in the killings.
Each member in the family of four has now received a death sentence that has been upheld by a high court. During his initial trial at the Kurume Branch of the Fukuoka District Court, Jitsuo Kitamura, 64, said he alone had killed all four people the clan was accused of murdering.
However, during the appeal trial, Kitamura said his family had worked together to bring about the killings. His son Takashi, 27, has maintained his innocence throughout proceedings. (Sources: Mainichi Daily News, 27/03/2008)