On the 6th, the defendant was questioned in the trial of the arson murder case of "Kyoto Animation", and the defendant Shinji Aoba answered the question of the bereaved family by saying, "I am sorry" and apologized directly. This is the first time that he has offered an apology in this trial.
The defendant, Shinji Aoba (45), is accused of murder, arson and other crimes for sprinkling gasoline and setting fire to Kyoto Animation's No. 4 studio in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, four years ago in July 2019, killing 7 employees and seriously injuring 1 others.
At the trial held at the Kyoto District Court on June 36, the defendant was questioned for the last time in this trial, based on the statements of opinion made by the bereaved families and victims in the courtroom.
When asked by the prosecutor what he meant when the defendant said at the trial, "I didn't expect so many people to die, and I went too far," he said, "I feel guilty, or I feel very sorry."
This is the first time that a defendant has apologized to the bereaved family and victims at a trial.
When asked about his reaction to the statement by the bereaved family and the victim that they wanted capital punishment, he said, "There is a part of me that thinks that I should make amends."
After this, when the husband who lost his wife was also asked, "What do you think of my son and wife?", he replied, "I think I'm sorry," and apologized directly.
In addition, in response to a question from the defense, he said that the staff of the detention center supported his current life, and said, "If I had come to the Osaka Detention Center earlier and been put in this environment, I probably would not have caused the incident."
The trial is scheduled to conclude on July 32 after the prosecution seeks sentences, the defendant's lawyer and the defendant himself give a final opinion, and the trial lasts more than three months.