Next year will mark the fifth anniversary of one of the anime industry’s biggest tragedies. In July 2019, the world could only watch as Kyoto Animation was targeted by an arsonist. The attack ended up with 36 lives lost and dozen more injured. At last, the attack’s suspect is on trail, and a new update has confirmed prosecutors in Japan are seeking the death penalty.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The information comes from The Mainichi as it revealed prosecutors on the Kyoto Animation arson case are seeking the death penalty for Shinji Aoba. The team says while Aoba may have experienced delusions at the time of the attack that he knew what he was doing. For instance, the prosecutors have stressed Aoba falsely believed Kyoto Animation has plagiarized an idea of a novel he’d written. But of course, the defense team does not agree.
After all, Aoba’s defense is seeking full acquittal or a reduced sentence for Aoba. They believe his mental statue during the time of the attack does not make him fully responsible for the arson. Back in September, the latest trial against Aoba began to determine if he was mentally competent enough to bear responsibility for the arson. The trial will end this month before the Kyoto District Court hands out its verdict in January 2024.
For those unfamiliar with the tragic case, the Kyoto Animation arson took place on July 2019. The deadly attack impacted more than 70 victims, and authorities apprehended Aoba the day off after finding him injured on a nearby street. Due to the COVID pandemic and intense public scrutiny, trial proceedings for Aoba have been slow. Earlier this year, the suspect did plead guilty to the charges laid against him, but the court must now decide if Aoba is mentally sound enough to bear such blame.
What do you think about this latest case update on the Kyoto Animation arson? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
