Life Sentence Upheld for Ex-Nurse in Patient Murder Case

Jun 19, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The Tokyo High Court upheld the life sentence for a former nurse accused of killing three elderly patients by mixing disinfectant into their IV drips at the former Oguchi Hospital in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The verdict was delivered on June 19, confirming the initial ruling by the Yokohama District Court in 2021.

Kiyumi Kuboki, a former nurse at the now-defunct Oguchi Hospital, was convicted of injecting disinfectant into the IV drips of three patients in 2016, leading to their deaths.

In the first trial in 2021, the Yokohama District Court sentenced Kuboki to life imprisonment. During the appeal, prosecutors argued that the punishment was too lenient and sought the death penalty, while the defense argued against capital punishment.

On June 19, the Tokyo High Court ruled that there were no errors in the initial court’s assessment of the circumstances leading to the formation of Kuboki’s motives or her potential for rehabilitation. The court stated, “It is not unreasonable to impose a life sentence that requires her to confront the gravity of her crimes for the rest of her life and to seek rehabilitation.” As a result, the court upheld the original life sentence for Kuboki.

Source: 日テレNEWS

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