1.
non-indictment; decision not to prosecute
A formal decision by public prosecutors not to bring criminal charges against a suspect. In Japan, prosecutors have broad discretion to drop cases for reasons including insufficient evidence, the minor nature of the offense, or the suspect's circumstances.
不起訴になった。
He was not indicted.
Composed of the prefix 不 (non-, un-) + 起訴 (indictment; bringing formal criminal charges). A standard legal term that appears constantly in Japanese crime news. Under Japanese law, prosecutors — not police or judges — decide whether to formally charge a suspect, and they have very wide discretion.
Common collocations
- 不起訴になる: to be not indicted
- 不起訴にする: to decide not to indict (subject: prosecutor)
- 不起訴処分: a non-indictment disposition (the formal ruling)
- 不起訴が確定する: the non-indictment decision becomes final
- 証拠不十分で不起訴: non-indicted due to insufficient evidence
- 起訴猶予: suspension of prosecution — a sub-type of non-indictment
Types of non-indictment
- 嫌疑なし: no suspicion — the case is dropped because the prosecutor concludes the suspect was not involved.
- 嫌疑不十分: insufficient suspicion — there is some suspicion but not enough evidence to go to trial.
- 起訴猶予: suspension of prosecution — evidence exists but prosecutors decline to charge, typically for minor offenses or where the suspect shows remorse.
Similar words
- 起訴: indictment; prosecution — the opposite action.
- 略式起訴: summary indictment — a simplified procedure for minor cases.
- 無罪: not guilty — a judge's verdict after a trial; different from non-indictment, which happens before any trial begins.
Usage
When Japanese news reports say "不起訴になった," they mean prosecutors have chosen not to take the case to court. Because the non-indicted individual has never been tried, they are not "not guilty" in the legal sense — just not charged. This distinction is important in news reporting and sometimes in public debate.