Shinji Aoba, who was charged with murder and arson, was sentenced on the 25th in connection with the arson attack on Kyoto Animation's studio five years ago, killing 36 employees and injuring 32 others. It will be announced.
While the prosecution sought the death penalty, the defense has maintained his innocence, saying he lacked responsibility due to mental illness, and the focus is on what the court will decide.
table of contents
《The issues at issue in the trial》
《The bereaved family before the verdict》
《Five crimes accused of Aoba》
《New facts revealed in the trial and the situation at the time》
[Defendant Aoba's argument in court]
《Progress of the trial》
Open table of contents
table of contents
table of contents
《The issues at issue in the trial》
《The bereaved family before the verdict》
《Five crimes accused of Aoba》
《New facts revealed in the trial and the situation at the time》
[Defendant Aoba's argument in court]
《Progress of the trial》
Shinji Aoba (45) was charged with murder for setting fire to Kyoto Animation's first studio in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City in July 2019, killing 36 employees and seriously injuring 32 others. He has been charged with crimes such as arson.
The jury trial for this case, which caused the highest number of victims since the Heisei era when records remain, has been held 22 times since September last year. The biggest issue was whether he was competent.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, arguing that the defendant was fully responsible, saying, ``The delusion that KyoAni had plagiarized his work influenced his motivation, but it was limited.''
The defense, on the other hand, maintains his innocence, saying, ``The defendant lived in a delusion and caused this incident in a delusion,'' claiming that he lacked the capacity for responsibility due to severe mental illness.
The verdict is scheduled to be handed down at the Kyoto District Court from 10:30 a.m. on the 25th, and the focus will be on how the court will judge responsibility and the severity of the sentence.
《The issues at issue in the trial》
Defendant Aoba has acknowledged the charges against him, and there are no major disputes regarding the facts.
The biggest issue was whether the defendant had the capacity to take responsibility at the time of the incident, and the prosecution and the defendant's lawyer had conflicting arguments.
Prosecutor's argument
Prosecutors said the defendant had paranoid personality disorder or delusional disorder, but the effects were limited.
The court further argued that, ``Although the defendant had delusions as a symptom, the crime was not driven by delusions, but was due to the defendant's personality, such as attacking out of frustration, and it cannot be said that his ability to take responsibility was significantly diminished.'' I am.
Furthermore, regarding the circumstances before the incident, ``The defendant knew that arson and murder were serious crimes, and was in a state where it was expected that he would be deterred.'' There was no evidence of delusions throughout his judgment, including the preliminary inspection and the preparation of tools. ” he claimed.
The two doctors who conducted the defendant's psychiatric evaluation agreed that the defendant ``understood that the crime was a crime.'' "He had the ability to distinguish between the two cases, and was able to take into account the possibility that he would be prosecuted for criminal charges," he said, asserting that he was fully responsible.
The judge then added, ``The number of victims was by far the largest in the history of Japanese criminal trials due to revenge against Kyoto Animation.'' was sentenced.
Defense's argument
On the other hand, the defendant's lawyer argued that the defendant had no responsibility, saying, ``The defendant had a severe delusional disorder.''
The reason for this is that, ``The psychiatric evaluation conducted at the request of the prosecutor lacked the delusions of the ``number two of the dark organization,'' which largely controls the defendant's mental world and reality.''
He added, ``It is very important that the defendant canceled his smartphone contract four months before the incident.He believed that ``Number 2'' had manipulated his smartphone, and although the Internet was his main point of contact with the real world, he did not use it. The fact that the contract was canceled is further proof that delusions were the influence.''
``For more than 10 years, the defendant has been toyed with and suffered in a world of uncorrectable delusions.He recognized that what he was about to do was something he should not do, and he did not have the strength to stop himself.'' They requested that he be found not guilty on the grounds that he lacked the capacity to take responsibility, or that his sentence be lightened on the grounds that he was in a mentally deficient state and did not have sufficient capacity to take responsibility.
《The bereaved family before the verdict》
Director Yasuhiro Takemoto's mother: ``I want to see it through for my son''
Before the verdict, Chieko (75), the mother of Yasuhiro Takemoto (47 at the time), a popular director at Kyoto Animation who passed away, said, ``The trial revealed that the underlying argument was that the novel was stolen.'' , I doubt whether they really feel that it was ``wrong.'' If the sentence is harsh, I wonder if the person in question will be satisfied with it, given the sense of being a victim of ``theft.'' Even if it happens, I hope this is the end of it.''
Chieko and her husband decided to attend the trial for the first time on the day of the verdict, and she said, ``I've never been able to go to a trial before, so I want to watch it for the sake of my son at least for the last time.'' ” she said.
Naomi Ishida's mother: ``Even with a heavy sentence, my daughter won't come home.''
The mother of Naomi Ishida (49 at the time), an animator who was in charge of color design at Kyoto Animation, died before the verdict, saying, ``Before the trial, I didn't have any special feelings about the defendant, but since the trial started, As for the defendant's reasons for causing the incident, she repeatedly said things like blaming her own upbringing and Kyoto Animation, and she gradually became irritated with him.No matter how severe the sentence was, it would not bring her daughter back, and it was all in vain. ” he says.
Naomi's father reportedly said that he wanted to take out his anger directly on the defendant in court, but he died of illness just before the trial began, and her mother said, ``I will check the news at home to find out the verdict. I don't know if there will be a verdict, but I will report to the two of you in front of the Buddhist altar.''
Father of male animator: ``I hope the trial will act as a deterrent''
The father of the deceased male animator attended the trial twice, but said that he did not feel any sense of redemption from Aoba.
In court, the father's statement of opinion was read aloud, saying, ``This is a cruel crime that, like us, has taken away our sons and daughters, our husbands and wives, and our children have been robbed of their fathers and mothers, leaving behind sad and painful bereaved families.'' I hope this trial will act as a deterrent to prevent this from happening again."
The father decided not to attend the verdict, which is expected to attract a large number of people, and before the verdict, he said, ``The regret, sadness, and loneliness of our bereaved families will never go away. Even if I do, I won't receive it, but I would have liked some kind of apology to be given during the trial.No matter what the verdict is, it won't bring back the lives that were lost, and it won't bring back my son's smile and normal life. "No, but I would like society to take another look at this incident so that tragic incidents do not occur in the wake of this verdict."
《Five crimes accused of Aoba》
Defendant Aoba at his first trial
In this trial, Aoba is charged with five crimes, including murder and arson.
1. Breaking into a building
First, he is accused of breaking into a building by entering Kyoto Animation Studio 1 in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City through the main entrance at around 10:30 a.m. on July 18, 2019.
2. Arson of existing buildings, etc.
After this, buckets of gasoline were poured onto the bodies and surrounding areas of the employees on the central floor of the first floor, and the fire was set on fire with a gas lighter, burning down the studio where 70 employees were located. He is charged with arson.
3. Murder and 4. Attempted Murder. He
is also charged with murder and attempted murder for killing 36 people and seriously injuring 32 others.
5. Violation of the Firearms and Swords Act
In addition to this, he was also charged with violating the Firearms and Swords Act for carrying six knives without a valid reason on that day.
《New facts revealed in the trial and the situation at the time》
During the trial, new facts and detailed circumstances at the time of the incident were revealed through examination of evidence and questioning of the defendant.
1. Terrorism planned in Omiya
In the opening statement of the prosecution, it was revealed that one month before the incident, Aoba went to Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture and tried to commit indiscriminate murder, but gave up. Ta.
Regarding this, the defendant said in questioning, ``I was trying to tell KyoAni that it was because they copied the idea from the novel that it led to this outcome.When I went to Omiya Station, there was a low density of people, so it wasn't a big incident.'' I decided that," he said.
2. Referring to past incidents
. Regarding how he planned the incident, he said, ``I referred to incidents in the past where people died after being doused with gasoline at a consumer finance company, and an arson incident at a mahjong parlor. At that stage, I had decided to do just that,'' the defendant said during questioning.
Regarding the reason why he brought six knives to the crime scene, he mentioned the indiscriminate murder incident in Akihabara, Tokyo, where seven people died after being hit or stabbed with knives, and said, ``I poured gasoline on them.'' Also, I assumed that I would be stopped."
3. Employees testify about the situation at the time
During witness examination, two employees who witnessed the moment the defendant lit the fire inside the building testified about the situation at the time.
One of the employees said, ``The defendant forcefully poured a liquid that smelled like fuel on my head and body.He then lit a fire while saying in a loud voice, ``I'm going to die.'' It went up to the ceiling and I ran into the bathroom."
Another employee also testified about the situation at the time, saying, ``The defendant was shouting short words. There was a bright light that turned the room white, and there was a loud, dull sound, and the smell of gasoline and hot air rushed in.'' did.
[Defendant Aoba's argument in court]
At the trial, Aoba said, ``It was too much,'' and there were moments when he apologized to the bereaved families and victims, but he consistently maintained that ``KyoAni stole the idea for the novel.''
At the first trial, when asked by the presiding judge whether there was any mistake in the indictment, he said, ``There is no doubt.At that time, I thought this was the only way to do it.I didn't realize that so many people would die, and I overdid it.'' Ta.
The defendant's question
In the defendant's questioning, he talked about how he reacted to the fact that the novel he submitted to Kyoto Animation was rejected.
The defendant said, ``I felt disappointed and betrayed.'' I believed that the person who had been rejected was the person known as ``Number 2,'' who put pressure on him because he did not want him to have a say.'' "In return, I think a lot of money went to Kyoto Animation."
Regarding how the ideas for the novel were stolen, he stated that although some of the ideas were not included in the work submitted to Kyoto Animation, they were leaked onto the internet and stolen.
At the trial, the president of Kyoto Animation denied plagiarism, saying, ``We are not a company that can steal someone else's ideas.The incident happened because of the defendant's assumptions, and I am heartbroken.''
Regarding this, the defendant once again asserted, ``The director of Kyoto Animation has mentioned his ideas on his blog, so it doesn't mean that he hasn't read his work.''
When asked if it was necessary to involve people who were doing administrative work at the studio, he said, ``Anime production is not something that can be completed by one person, so I think several people created the plagiarized scenes.'' ``I think I could have avoided becoming a victim if I had submitted my resignation letter myself, even if I didn't know about the plagiarism, and asked people who did know that this company was dangerous.''
In the final questioning of the defendant on December 6th, when the prosecutor asked him what he meant when he said he had "done too much," he replied, "I don't mean that it includes feelings of guilt, or rather that I feel extremely sorry." "Yes," he said, and for the first time apologized to the bereaved families and victims.
When asked about his reaction to the statements made by the bereaved families and victims who expressed their desire for capital punishment, he said, ``There is a part of me that thinks that is what should be done to make amends.''
On the other hand, regarding the claim that KyoAni stole the idea for the novel, he said, ``I feel that KyoAni came first.I'll be honest with you about that.The expert who conducted the psychiatric evaluation said that it was a delusion.'' "I accept this as a fact," he said again.
In addition, during questioning from the defense, he stated that he was supported by the detention center staff, saying, ``If I had come to Osaka Detention Center earlier and been put in this kind of environment, I probably wouldn't have committed the incident.'' I think so,” he said.
《Progress of the trial》
The trial began in September last year and was heard a total of 22 times, ending on December 7th.
September 5, 2023
At the first trial, the defendant acknowledged the charges and said, ``At the time, I started the incident because I thought this was the only way to do it, but I never expected so many people to die.'' It was too much.”
September 6th to 7th: Evidence Examination
During the second trial, audio data of the defendant shouting things like ``My novel was ripped off'' when he was arrested was played.
Furthermore, a comparison was made between Kyoto Animation's works and a novel written by the defendant, and it was found that the defendant had stated that his own novel contained similar depictions of three scenes depicted in the anime. revealed.
September 7th to 25th: Questioning of the Defendant
Starting from the third trial, the defendant was questioned, and he explained why he applied for the novel because he thought his past criminal history was known at work and was unable to continue working. I explained that I decided to devote all my energy to writing novels.
However, he was so shocked by the rejection of his entry, which he said he had spent over seven years writing, that he later burned the novel's notebook, saying, ``I lost something like a handhold, and I was on the verge of causing an unfortunate incident.'' ” and so on.
He also said that he hesitated before committing the crime, saying, ``Even a villain like myself has a guilty conscience, and I knew it was wrong.''
September 27th - October 11th The
10th trial began with witness questioning, during which an employee who witnessed the moment the defendant lit the fire testified about the situation.
Additionally, Kyoto Animation's president, Hideaki Hatta, testified, responding to the defendant's claim that his ideas for the novel were stolen, saying, ``We are not a company that can steal anyone's ideas.''
October 23rd to October 30th Trial of Responsibility The
13th trial focused on the defendant's responsibility, and two doctors who conducted psychiatric evaluations of the defendant appeared in court, each offering different opinions. was shown.
A doctor who examined the defendant at the request of the prosecutors before he was indicted said, ``After thinking that Kyoto Animation had plagiarized the novel due to delusions, he did not take any realistic action such as directly protesting before committing the crime, and it was only a delusion.'' "has no significant effect on the defendant's behavior."
On the other hand, after he was indicted, a doctor who gave an expert opinion at the request of the defense stated, ``Even before the crime, when the defendant had a problem, he had taken steps to resolve the issue by quitting his job or otherwise severing his relationship with the other person.'' "He had a delusion that he would continue to be plagiarized, so he committed the crime in order to end the relationship," he said, adding that his delusions influenced his crime.
November 6th Interlocutory Argument/Interlocutory Argument
In the 16th trial, the prosecution's interim argument and the defense's interlocutory argument regarding responsibility were held, and then the jury members and the judge held an interim discussion in private.
November 27th - December 6th
Trial of circumstances Starting from the 17th trial, a hearing was held regarding the circumstances that determine the severity of the sentence, and the bereaved families and victims directly expressed their feelings.
One of the bereaved family members expressed their sadness, saying, ``Please give me back my daughter. I wish I could have died with her, at least by her side. I wanted to be close to that spoiled child.''
Another family member said that when they met their deceased daughter, she kissed them and sang them a lullaby.
He then actually sang the lullaby in court, emphasizing that he wanted the defendant to receive the death penalty.
In the 21st trial, the defendant was questioned for the final time, and when asked directly by one of the bereaved families about his feelings toward the bereaved families and the victims, the defendant answered, "I am sorry," and in this trial, For the first time, I apologized.
December 7th: Final arguments, closing arguments,
and conclusion In the 22nd trial, the prosecution requested the death penalty, but the defense again asserted innocence, and all trials ended.
Bereaved families can ask questions through the “Victim Participation System”
In this trial, 19 of the 36 people who were killed and all 32 people who were injured were heard with their names and other identifying information hidden.
Those heard anonymously in court were referred to by numbers from a list of victims, rather than having their names read out.
The bereaved families and victims took advantage of the ``victim participation system'' and sat in the audience seats and the prosecutor's seats, asking defendant Aoba direct questions and expressing their feelings.
The jury trial deliberation is
Six jurors and six supplementary jurors were appointed for this trial, and they participated in 22 hearings from the first trial on September 5th of last year to the conclusion of the trial on December 7th.
Deliberations in a jury trial are held behind closed doors, with the three judges and six jurors deliberating whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty and, if guilty, what sentence to give.
This trial, which lasted for over four months, had two deliberations to sort out the points at issue, and in the interim deliberation held in November last year, a conclusion was reached regarding defendant Aoba's responsibility, and the results were announced for the first time in the judgment. will be revealed.
At the final deliberation after the conclusion of the trial, it appears that the severity of the punishment was discussed.
The three judges and six jurors each have one vote, and if there is a disagreement, the decision is generally made by majority vote.
However, if opinions are divided and a heavy punishment is to be imposed that is disadvantageous to the defendant, it is not a conclusion even if five or more judges are in favor and there is a majority; at least one judge must be in favor. is required.
Employees who have not been able to return
Kyoto Animation had 176 employees at the time of the incident, of which 70 who worked at Studio 1 were involved in the incident.
According to the company, recruitment activities were temporarily suspended due to the incident, but have resumed, and as of this month, the number of employees is approximately 170, about the same as before the incident.
Some of the employees who were injured in the incident have returned to work after receiving treatment, but others are still receiving treatment and have not been able to return to work.
The site of “Studio 1” is
On the other hand, the site of Kyoto Animation's Studio 1, which was the site of the incident, remains a vacant lot after the building was demolished.
The company does not plan to open the site to the public, as it is expected that a memorial monument will be erected in the future, and that the site could also be used as a company business site.
In addition, the bereaved family and the company are planning to erect a monument in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, where the company's head office is located, in addition to the former studio site, as a symbol to remember the incident, the victims, and their gratitude for the outpouring of support. I'm considering it.
In December of last year, a review meeting attended by family members, employees, and others decided on a park near a station in Uji City as the candidate site, and after finalizing the design of the monument, they will commemorate the 5th anniversary of the incident. The aim is to have it completed by July.