In the 17th hearing of the Kyoto Animation arson trial, held on November 27, 2023, at the Kyoto District Court with Judge Keisuke Masuda presiding, the third phase of the trial The trial, that is, the sentencing, has begun.
During the hearing, both the defense and prosecution took turns giving their third opening statements.
In its statement, the prosecution pointed out that defendant Shinji Aoba’s crime was an unprecedented case of arson and mass murder. They argued that the act was carried out in retaliation due to a misguided grudge.
The prosecution asked the coroner’s court to consider the fact that this arson led to the worst death toll since the Heisei period and to call attention to the fear, suffering and suffering about mental damage to the victims and their bereaved families.
They also emphasized the brutality of the crime committed with gasoline.
Aoba’s lawyers asked the court to consider whether sentencing the defendant to death would be unfortunate or not. really the right choice. They point out that if murder is considered wrong, is the death penalty really justified?
The defense asked whether this was really a case of “an eye for an eye.”
Previous stages of the trial have covered the entire case and Aoba’s culpability. He pleaded guilty in his first trial on September 5, 2023, saying he felt Kyoto Animation stole the novel he submitted to the studio in a contest.
In To the 7th Trial, Aoba revealed more details about his motives, stating that at the time of the arson, he felt all the victims were equally guilty and that he wanted to kill as many people as possible for stealing my novel.
On the other hand, Kyoto Animation’s president, Hideaki Hatta, denied the plagiarism allegations made by Aoba and alleged that the studio stole one of his novels.
Despite admitting to the crime, Aoba’s defense team entered a plea of not guilty because the defendant was mentally disabled or had reduced mental capacity when he committed the crime. The defense team is aiming for a reduced sentence.
The verdict of the trial will be made on January 25, 2024.
A devastating fire broke out at KyoAni’s Studio 1 building on July 18, 2019. At the time, there were 70 people inside the building. The fire claimed the lives of 36 people and injured 33 others. In addition to the victims inside the building, the smoke also injured a man in his forties who was on his way to work.
Kyoto Animation’s productions were initially paused after the attack, and the outbreak of the pandemic further delayed their projects.
As a new comeback after two years of aftershocks of the tragedy, the studio has resumed its production activities with the release of the second part of the film Miss Kobayashi’s dragon maid.
The two memorials, as a symbolic tribute to the victims of the arson attack, are scheduled to be unveiled on July 18, 2024, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the incident.
Source: Sankei News