In a recent development, a Japanese court gave Shinji Aoba, the perpetrator of the 2019 fire attack on Kyoto Animation that killed 36 people, a death sentence.
The Kyoto Animation studio tragedy, considered Japan’s worst crime in decades, took place when Aoba, 45, stormed into the animation studio, spilled gasoline, and set the studio on fire. The victims, many of whom were young, had difficulty fleeing; several were discovered on a stairway, suggesting frantic efforts to leave. Over 30 people were hurt and 36 reported dead.
Aoba faced allegations of murder, attempted murder, and arson, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. Although his defense argued he was unable to discriminate between right and wrong owing to a mental illness, the court decided he was neither mad nor mentally handicapped at the time of the crime.
Aoba, who claimed Kyoto Animation stole his ideas, expressed regret during the trial. He was severely burned in the fire and required many procedures before recovering consciousness and speech.
