Feb 01 (Japan Times) - Prosecutors on Monday demanded the death penalty for a man charged with murdering 19 residents and injuring 26 others at a care home for people with mental disabilities near Tokyo in a knife rampage in 2016.
During the trial at the Yokohama District Court in Kanagawa Prefecture, prosecutors said Satoshi Uematsu, a 30-year-old former employee of the facility, single-handedly took 19 lives and showed no remorse, adding that he has no intention to rehabilitate.
“We can see that the defendant has formulated his idea of killing disabled victims who were not capable of communicating, based on his experience of working (there),†a prosecutor said. “It is a peculiar thought instead of a pathological delusion.â€
They also pointed out he meticulously planned and executed the attack.
Uematsu has admitted to killing and injuring the victims, saying he did it because “it would be beneficial to society.â€
Uematsu’s defense team is expected to argue Wednesday that he should not be held responsible for his actions on the basis of mental incompetency, or to ask for leniency.
The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on March 16.
