Photo/Illutration Defendant Shinji Aoba, who was severely burned in the arson attack, at the Kyoto District Court in September (Image drawn by Eri Iwasaki)

KYOTO--Prosecutors on Dec. 7 demanded the death sentence for Shinji Aoba, the defendant in an arson attack that killed 36 people at a Kyoto Animation Co. studio in 2019, citing his motive and the number of victims. 

“It is an unprecedented case of arson and mass murder, and the number of victims is by far the largest in the history of Japanese criminal trials,” the prosecution told the Kyoto District Court at the 22nd and final trial.

“It is virtually impossible to imagine the shock, anger and grief of the bereaved families.”

In their closing argument the same day, lawyers for Aoba, 45, said he should be acquitted because he was mentally incompetent at the time, or if found guilty, his sentence should be reduced by reason of diminished capacity.

They added that the death penalty should be avoided by any means, maintaining that cruel punishments are forbidden under the Constitution.

The ruling is scheduled on Jan. 25.

Aoba is accused of killing 36 employees and injuring 32 others at Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio in Kyoto on July 18, 2019, by dousing employees and their surroundings with gasoline on the first floor and setting the three-story structure ablaze. 

In their closing argument, prosecutors said Aoba, who unsuccessfully submitted a novel in a Kyoto Animation competition, developed a grudge against the company.

“Aoba thought that Kyoto Animation succeeded although he lost everything and that the company could not be forgiven,” the prosecution said. 

“With an irrational and extremely selfish motive, Aoba executed the crime after meticulously planning the means, methods and locations.”

Aoba has told the court that he “went too far” and he “was left with a mountain of regret.”

During the Dec. 6 questioning of the accused, Aoba apologized to victims’ bereaved families, saying, “All I can say is that I am sorry.”

When Presiding Judge Keisuke Masuda asked Aoba if he had anything to say at the closing of the trial on Dec. 7, the defendant said, "I have answered questions to the best of my ability, so I have nothing to add here."

The primary point of contention in the trial is whether Aoba could be held criminally responsible at the time.

Prosecutors said delusions do not constitute a circumstance for avoiding the maximum penalty because their influence on the crime was limited.

They said although Aoba suffered under the delusion that Kyoto Animation had stolen his ideas for a novel, it was developed by interpreting with a victim mindset a real-life event that his novel was unsuccessful. 

Lawyers said a post-indictment diagnosis of “severe delusional disorder,” given by one of the two doctors who conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Aoba, is credible.

The doctor testified that delusions formed the basis for Aoba’s motive for the crime.

“Aoba lived in a delusional world for more than 10 years until the incident and he thought and perceived things based on delusions,” the defense said.

“Aoba thought that a dark figure and Kyoto Animation were working together to harass him and he brought the incident on himself as a countermeasure.” 

(This article was written by Shogo Mitsuzumi and Issei Yamamoto.)

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