At the trial of a 53-year-old uncle who was accused of murder and arson for setting his house on fire and killing his elementary school brother in Inami Town, Hyogo Prefecture three years ago, prosecutors said, ``He deserves extremely strong condemnation.'' '' and demanded the death penalty. On the other hand, the defense argued that the death penalty should not be given, saying that ``the defendant has a mild intellectual disability.''
In November 2021, the defendant Tomyo Matsuo (53), who has no fixed address and is unemployed, doused his home in Inami Town, Hyogo Prefecture with gasoline and set it on fire, killing Matsuo, a 6th grade elementary school student, who is the child of his sister and his wife, who were living together. He is charged with murder and arson for killing the brothers Yukiro (12 years old at the time) and Maki (7 years old at the time), a first-year elementary school student.
At a lay judge trial held at the Himeji Branch of the Kobe District Court on the 7th, the prosecution stated, ``The children were used as a means of venting their dissatisfaction with the younger sister and her husband, who had been growing unilaterally while living together,'' through no fault of their own. "The motive was inhumane and deserves the strongest condemnation."
The court then requested the death penalty, saying, ``He still has no remorse at all, and even at trial he made statements that would further distress the bereaved family, making it difficult for him to rehabilitate himself.''
On the other hand, the defense said, ``Due to the defendant's mild intellectual disability, he lacks the ability to make appropriate judgments and choices to solve problems, and he has persevered and accumulated dissatisfaction.There is a limit to his ability to deepen his introspection. "We are progressing step by step," he said, arguing that the death penalty should not be given.
The verdict will be handed down on February 15th.