"We are working hard even with disabilities."

During the last three and a half years, the victims' 19 bereaved families have been writing anger, sadness, and thoughts about the defendant in court records.

A family of a 41-year-old man who died in a note he wrote to NHK about two years after the incident stated, "Even if the criminal was sentenced and the trial was over, it would be It's not the end of that. Still, we want the trial to begin as early as possible because we want to know why the culprit had committed such an incident, and if his son had to die. But if your family, parents, siblings, and children are disabled, I don't know if they can do the same thing, including when they will be in a disabled position. "

A 65-year-old woman's younger brother said in a note about a year after the incident, "My sister, who had been bullied for disability as a child, was killed in this way. I don't feel sorry, I can never forgive the accused. "

One year after the incident, a family of a 55-year-old man said in a note, saying, "The defendant is" a person who is not worth living, but it is not. It makes people laugh and teaches important things. I want the defendant to hear the victim's voice and change their mindset. "

A 26-year-old woman's mother said in a note she had written two years before the incident, saying, "It's just a hard time, and I'm irreplaceable. I want the defendant to know what I've done or to be guilty of being overwhelmed, because my daughter will never return. "

In July, three years after the incident, he said, "I am working hard even with severe disability. I can never forcibly take away its existence. I want it to start. "

What do residents want? "Decision support" initiatives

At the time of the incident, 157 residents were living at Tsukui Yamayuri-en, a facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Sagamihara City, which was the scene of the event. At present, many people are moving to temporary housing facilities in Konan Ward, Yokohama, following the demolition of facilities for reconstruction.

Following the incident, Kanagawa Prefecture has been working on a large-scale facility called "decision support" to find out what kind of life each resident wants to live. Some people are unable to express their feelings and intentions in words, but they are trying to capture that intention through outings and group home experiences.

However, out of the 122 people who are subject to "decision support", only a few people have decided the direction of where to live in the staff meeting with experts in the future.

Memorial monument for facility reconstruction

The building at the time of the prefectural institution for intellectual disabilities, "Tsukui Yamayurien", was demolished for reconstruction, and is now more open.

Kanagawa Prefecture plans to build a new facility with a capacity of 66 people at the original site for reconstruction and two places near the Yokohama City facility where many of the residents are temporarily resident.

At first, the prefecture planned to create the same large-scale facilities as the original facilities, but it was divided into small living spaces called "units" because there were calls from disabled groups and others for small-scale facilities rooted in the area. The facility has been changed.

In order to increase daily relations with local people, there will be an “interchange zone” where anyone can visit during the day, and the prefecture will operate two facilities in Reiwa 3 (2021). Want to start.

In addition, a facility that will be rebuilt at the same location in Sagamihara City will have a monument to commemorate the 19 victims, but it is unknown whether the names of the victims will be engraved.