Care Home Killer: Resigned To Death Penalty


Care home killer: Resigned to death penalty

A Japanese man who was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing 19 intellectually disabled people says he will abide by the ruling.

The Yokohama District Court on Monday sentenced Satoshi Uematsu to death for the murders at a care home in Sagamihara, near Tokyo, in 2016. Uematsu worked at the facility before the murders.

He spoke to an NHK reporter at a detention house in Yokohama on Tuesday.

Uematsu said ever since the trial opened, he knew he would be given capital punishment.

He said he will not appeal the ruling, because conclusions about the incident have already been reached.

He said his lawyers recommended that he appeal any heavy sentence before Monday's ruling. But Uematsu said he would go against the attorneys' will.

His lawyers maintained that he was innocent, saying Uematsu could not be held criminally responsible because of a mental disorder caused by long-term marijuana use.

Uematsu told NHK that if his death sentence becomes final, he will be disappointed about not being able to meet people and exchange letters like he can now.

The defendant sought permission to speak right after the ruling was handed down. But the presiding judge turned down his request.

NHK asked what he tried to say. Uematsu said he wanted to tell people that marijuana is necessary to achieve world peace.

During the interview, Uematsu continued to say people with disabilities have no human rights.