Hyodo Toshiyuki [Yoshiyuki] and others

Case Summary

The three defendants were members of the Kempeitai detachment in Oxley Rise, Singapore. They were charged with the war crimes of ill-treatment of civilian residents of Singapore: Mohammed bin Mohammed Salleh, Koy Boon, and Hardial Singh, and with the death of Koy Boon as a result of the ill-treatment. 

At the end of the prosecution's case, the charges against the third defendant, Sergeant Kawano Senichi were dropped because of lack of a prima facie case.

The defence admitted ill-treatment by the first defendant, Sergeant-Major Hyodo Toshiyuki, but claimed that the prosecutor had exaggerated its gravity. For the second defendant, Sergeant-Major Maeyama Kunio the defence claimed that he was not an interrogator, thus he was not in the position to have ill-treated Mohammed bin Mohammed Salleh.

The defence denied that either defendants was concerned in the torture and death of Koy Boon. Both defendants were found guilty with exception of the crimes committed against Hardial Singh. Sergeant-Major Hyodo Toshiyuki was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and Sergeant-Major Maeyama Kunio was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment.

For more information see:

http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/e57086/

http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/9b3183/

The case is also interesting because it provides insights on the techniques used by the Kempeitai to obtain confessions. The victims recalled being given beatings, electric shock treatments as well as having water forcibly poured into their mouths by accused. Particularly cruel was the ill-treatment suffered by Koy Boon, which included the burning of different parts of his body, and which caused his death. The surviving victims of the illtreatment were able to testify in court.

To aid the court in understanding the layout of No. 8 Oxley Rise, the court actually adjourned there to hear the witness's testimony on its layout. The prosecution called a Captain Kunizuka Kazunori as a witness due to his ability to translate Japanese, this was notable as he was being held in Changi Gaol as a suspected war criminal.