The Supreme Court of Japan has confirmed the acquittal of Takahiro Imanishi, a father previously convicted of manslaughter for the death of his two-year-old daughter. In a decision dated March 3, the Supreme Court's Third Petty Bench supported the Osaka High Court's reversal of conviction, dismissing the prosecution's appeal unanimously. Imanishi consistently maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings, which began with the accusation that he had caused fatal injuries to his daughter in their Osaka home back in December 2017.

Initially, the Osaka District Court sentenced Imanishi to 12 years in prison, ruling that he was responsible for his daughter's death due to inflicted injuries. However, during the appeal process, the Osaka High Court scrutinized the evidence presented. It concluded that the prosecution failed to prove their assertion that Imanishi inflicted the injuries without external signs, pointing out that conflicting expert testimony cast doubt on the medical evidence, including the cause of death, indicating the possibility of factors such as vomiting leading to the child's demise.

The case also involved allegations of sexual assault, which the higher court ultimately dismissed, labeling the initial ruling as unreasonable given the lack of corroborating evidence. The Supreme Court's latest ruling has left no further options for the prosecution to appeal, having declared there were no constitutional violations to justify further legal challenge, thereby solidifying the father's acquittal of all charges.