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In episode 5 of Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!, at around 12:04, there's a guy who was handcuffed after being found out asking for low-angle pics from young kids. However, the handcuff was being censored with mosaic.

the handcuffed being censored with mosaic

Aren't kids/teens supposed to watch people get arrested or it's just an exaggeration? Or are they hiding other than the handcuff?

Aki Tanaka
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1 Answers1

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There's probably no reason for in-universe, but this represents the current norm in Japan: In Japanese broadcasts, handcuffs are usually censored to prevent the guilty feeling of the arrested person.

In Japan, when a person is arrested, they are always considered as a suspect first, regardless if they self-admit the crime or not. The handcuffs seen by other people will make the arrested person looks guilty and may affect the trial. Even though there is the presumption of innocence (a suspect is always presumed as innocent until proven guilty), the handcuffs may imply the suspect as already guilty. Even though the suspect is judged as not guilty, the guilty impression from the handcuffs may still linger on the observers.

This norm started after the case of Kazuyoshi Miura who had been arrested but successfully brought a case to the court that him being pictured in handcuffs implied guilt and had prejudiced the trial.

This is also the reason why a suspect's head & hands are usually covered with a cloth/towel when arrested in Japan.


Sources:

Aki Tanaka
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