Prosecutors against Shinji Aoba, the perpetrator of the 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack, are seeking the death penalty. The Kyoto District Court will announce its final verdict on January 25, 2024. [Thanks, ANN, NHK, Livedoor!]
As a refresher, the Kyoto Animation arson attack took place on July 18, 2019 when Aoba set fire to Kyoto Animation’s Studio 1 building. This fire killed 36 people and injured 34. This makes it one of the deadliest massacres in Japan since the end of World War II. Aoba suspected the studio of plagiarizing a novel he wrote. He had submitted it to Kyoto Animation as part of the studio’s contest but did not win.
According to Aoba’s defense team, he should be acquitted because he was suffering from delusions at the time of the attack. Another argument from the defense is that he had no idea the fire would reach the second or third floors. He also, according to them, had no way of knowing it would spread that fast. Aoba himself has stated that Tomohiro Kato, the perpetrator behind the 2008 Akihabara massacre, was a major influence on him. In court, according to Livedoor, he repeatedly stated that he empathized with Kato and that he felt they had many things in common. It was while watching his attack that made him feel like he should "do something," which was the arson attack in 2019. Japan executed Kato in 2022 for his murders.
The prosecutors for the case argue that his delusions about plagiarism serve as the motive, but not an excuse. Because of the severity of the attack and the “hell” that the victims went through, their families want to see Aoba punished. The prosecutors also argue that Aoba was completely aware of his actions, as well as the dangers and risks. Family members of the deceased victims have stated to NHK that they want to see Aoba receive the death penalty. They urge both the judge and jury to “make the right decision.”
We will know the final sentence of the Kyoto Animation arson case on January 25, 2024.
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