13:46 on January 4 before the first trial before the life of the robbed 19

That was a summer day more than three years and five months ago. "Disabled people with no communication have no meaning to live," said a 26-year-old who once wanted to be a teacher. On that day, 19 lives were taken just because of obstacles. And countless people whose hearts were killed by their motives. Why did “unprecedented discriminatory crime” occur? After nearly three and a half years, the trial will begin on August 8. (Reporter of the coverage group for the killing of persons with disabilities Takuma Yamauchi, Yokohama Bureau Chiu Hirooka, Social Affairs Department, Shimizu Nana)

One report that jumped into the dawn

"A man has entered a facility for the disabled and many have been injured."

It was a report from the fire department that a reporter in charge of staying at the Yokohama Bureau heard from the fire department before dawn on July 26, 2016.

We reporters went straight to the scene, some went to the police station, some went to the hospital without knowing the situation. Death information of residents coming in one after another. What is going on?

After a short while, you will receive information that the man who appeared "I did it" was arrested. In the morning, it became clear that this man was former defendant Seiji Uematsu of the Tsukui Yamayurien, a facility for intellectual disabilities in Midori Ward, Sagamihara City, where the man was set up.

But why a former employee?

The answer that came at night was unimaginable.

"Stabbed a person who could not communicate."
"I wanted to make sure the disabled were gone."

The defendant made a statement to police.

With this motive, society shook, and people with disabilities and groups made by families made various statements.

The Federation of Federations of Hands All Over the World “Every person with a disability lives with every effort to protect their lives.” “Our family protects you with all your abilities. Please live "

Japan Welfare Association for the Mentally Recognized: “It is absolutely imperative that you sort your life with or without disability. No matter how severe you are, you are part of the same community.”

Tell the Prime Minister ... "Killing Plan"

Subsequent investigations will give an overview of the case.

At around 1:43 am, she invaded the site, broke the window glass on the first floor room of Hana Home, where women live, and entered the building, first killing a 19-year-old woman. The staff members of the night shift were detained with a unity band to avoid being reported, and moved from east to west, hitting more than 40 people with knives in about an hour.

Five months before the incident, I was trying to hand three letters of report paper to the lower house chair.

He said he wanted to tell the Prime Minister about his plan to “kill many disabled people”. His name and address were written down, as did targeting the Tsukui Yamayuri Garden, where he worked.

After that, Sagamihara City responded to "measures hospitalization", forcing the patient to be hospitalized based on the diagnosis of a doctor, as "there is a risk of harming others." However, the defendant was discharged from the hospital 12 days later, as determined by another doctor.

About four months later the incident occurred.

After the arrest, the prosecutor's psychiatrist noted that he had multiple personality disorders, including "narcissistic personality disorder," but the prosecutor charged the defendant with criminal liability.

In this case, whether or not that person is responsible is at issue.

A young man who wanted to be a teacher

Why did a young man working at the facility cause such an incident?

I think many people had that question, and so did we. He visited officials involved in the investigation, those who knew the defendant's childhood, teachers, friends and colleagues.

Defendant Uematsu was born in Sagamihara City and grew up with a father and a mother of an elementary school teacher. From kindergarten to junior high school go to local, then to a private high school in Hachioji.

When he was a high school student, he wanted to be a teacher at the same elementary school as his father, and the university went on to the Faculty of Education. I also visited elementary school of my alma mater for teaching practice.

The defendant's child in the class remembered the situation at that time, even as a high school student.

"The way I talked was very warm and I was close to the students. I felt like I was honest and good at nursing."

However, after graduating from college, I ended up working for a shipping company and refilling vending machines with drinks.

I quit this job in about a year and a half and started working as a part-time staff at Tsukui Yamayurien, which was the scene of the incident, in December 2012, and was later officially hired as a staff member.

A junior high school classmate, who had been in contact with the defendant before the incident, said of the background that led to the incident.

"It was bright and kind of making friends with everyone. I think it was great that I couldn't be my goal teacher."

I wanted to be a "successful person"

We have been in contact with defendants in prisons more than 20 times to listen to them.

About 40 letters have arrived. The defendant repeated his discriminatory claims eloquently, but when he heard about his parents and was a teacher, before working at the facility, he changed the topic and did not answer clearly. I did.

Last October, a reporter asked during his 19th interview.

"It sounds to me that I'm making up my mind. After all, I don't know why it happened."

The defendant then suddenly stated:

Uematsu: "I really wanted to be a" successful person. Unless I was good at singing or good at baseball, it wasn't so. I thought it was the best idea. I didn't have any money now. "

I had always been discriminatory, but in the end I felt that I wasn't just hitting my weakness against the people in front of me, and that I felt so irrational and irresponsible.

“Anonymous hearing” Victims called “A” and “B”

While defendants continue to speak, the 19 killed are still anonymous. Police have not released the names of the 19 people since the outbreak as "family intentions".

And even in a trial where disclosure is the principle, 19 people are anonymous. A "decision on secrecy" determines that the court does not disclose information identifying the individual, such as the name of the victim.

Of the more than 40 victims, the dead are combined with the letter "A" and the alphabet. The injured person is a combination of "Otsu" and "Hei" and the alphabet. In other words, they will be called "Ko A" and "Otsu B".

Furthermore, it is expected that nearly one-third of the seats where the bereaved will sit will be demarcated by a shield, making it invisible to other observers. For us, who have covered many trials, it's a court that we've never seen before.

I want to convey “19 lives”

Six months after the incident, we launched a special website, "19 Life", to tell the anonymous victim that there was a rich personality and important everyday life that should never be taken away.

19 Life-Disability Killings-Link is here

We asked people who knew the deceased, such as the bereaved family and former staff, to want to carve out each living witness little by little.

"I was a proud girl who wasn't ashamed wherever she went."
"I want you to know that you worked so hard."
"It was a person who taught me a lot of staff."

It was a day when I realized the weight of the life that the defendant took. We've also learned that there are various reasons why survivors want anonymity.

Those who "just want to keep it alone" and those who "are afraid of social prejudice and discrimination". Some said, "I don't want to hide my disabled family."

I often felt that it was a problem on the part of society, including the media, that forced my family to remain anonymous.

What is revealed in the trial

In this case, some survivors will not go to court. On the other hand, some people try to go to trial as much as possible to see the trial. And some are willing to stand in court to tell defendants what they think.

We have been interviewing for nearly three and a half years, and we have seen how defendant's background has been affected, where defendant's discriminatory ideas were born, and why it led to killing. Did the environment of the facility where you live influence?

I hope that one or more facts will be revealed in court so that a society like this never happens again. And will the day when the words of the bereaved reach defendants who have not changed their claims so far?

It's easy to end with a "special case by a special person". However, each of us lives in the society that created the defendants who caused this incident.

Should the trial be an opportunity to once again face this society and within my heart? Until March 16th, when the ruling will be sentenced, I will continue to look here from the auditorium and continue here. And, on this special site "19 Life", we are waiting for your words.

Yokohama Bureau reporter Takuma Yamauchi

Yokohama Bureau reporter Chiu Hirooka

Press Secretary, Social Affairs Bureau