Dec 07, 2023 (NHK) - Prosecutors have demanded the death sentence for a man charged with setting fire to a Kyoto Animation studio four years ago, killing 36 employees.
Aoba Shinji is charged with murder and arson after dousing the studio with gasoline and starting a fire in July 2019. The attack at the studio in the city of Kyoto left 32 others injured.
The trial focused on whether the defendant could be deemed mentally competent in order to take responsibility for the crime.
Prosecutors on Thursday described the attack as an act of revenge stemming from a misdirected grudge. They said it stands out in Japan's criminal history in terms of the number of victims.
They said the defendant planned the attack with a firm intention to kill, and was fully aware of the dangers of setting fire to gasoline.
The prosecutors said as the victims tried to flee they were chased by rapidly-moving smoke and flames, and that their hellish terror and regret was beyond imagination.
They argued that the delusion that Kyoto Animation stole Aoba's work was a motive, but only partly, and does not exempt him from the death penalty.
The prosecutors noted that the suffering and sadness of bereaved families and survivors are far too deep, and they have a fierce desire for the defendant to be punished.
They said the defendant can be held fully accountable for what he did, and demanded that he be sentenced to death.
The defense lawyers argued that Aoba suffered from a serious delusional disorder at the time of the attack, and lacked the mental capability to distinguish between right and wrong. They are expected to plead not guilty.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 25.
Source: ANNnewsCH
