Elderly Couple Murdered by Japanese 'Tokutei Shonen'... First Public Naming Followed by First Death Sentence Record

The Supreme Court of Japan, equivalent to our Supreme Court [Photo by the Supreme Court of Japan website]

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A man who was tried for murdering the parents of a woman he had feelings for during his teenage years and setting fire to their house was sentenced to death. The local court unusually handed down the death penalty, stating that the defendant had "no possibility of rehabilitation."

Media outlets including Japan's NHK reported on the 18th (local time) that the Kofu District Court sentenced Endo Yuki (21) to death on charges of murder and arson. The defendant is accused of breaking into the home of a woman he had one-sided feelings for when he was 19 in 2021, killing her parents in their 50s with a weapon, and burning down the house.

The key issue in this case was the defendant's "criminal responsibility." Although the crime committed by the defendant was heinous, he was still a minor at the time of the offense. During the trial, the Japanese prosecution argued that the defendant had full criminal responsibility and sought the death penalty. However, the defendant's defense claimed that he was in a weakened mental and physical state at the time of the crime and that his criminal responsibility was significantly diminished.

Ultimately, the court followed the prosecutor's demand. The court explained the sentencing by stating, "This was a cruel crime based on malicious and resolute intent to kill," adding, "There was sufficient premeditation, the motive was self-centered and irrational, and there was no sincere apology to the bereaved family." The court further stated, "Even considering the age of 19 to the fullest extent, the seriousness of criminal responsibility is great, and the possibility of rehabilitation is small. There are no circumstances to avoid the death penalty."

It is reported that the defendant nodded twice significantly upon hearing the court's ruling. However, the presiding judge clearly told the defendant at the last moment, "Please do not give up on your thoughts."

Endo Yuki has set several records since the revision of Japan's Juvenile Law. Since the revision last year, Japan defines 18- and 19-year-old minors as "specified juveniles." When a specified juvenile commits a crime and is prosecuted, their real name and face can be disclosed like an adult. Endo Yuki was the first specified juvenile whose real name was publicly revealed last year and the first to be sentenced to death. Previously, there have been several cases in Japan where minors were sentenced to death, such as Norio Nagayama, a 19-year-old death row inmate who killed four citizens in 1992, and a trio aged 18 to 19 who brutally assaulted and killed four men in 1999.

However, this trial was a first-instance trial. Shunichi Fujimaki, the defense attorney for the defendant, said in an interview with NHK after the trial, "We deeply regret that our arguments were not accepted," and added, "We will consult with the defendant and decide whether to appeal."

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