Japanese Shinji Aoba was found guilty and sentenced to death for setting fire to and killing 36 people at the famous anime studio Kyoto Animation in 2019. This was reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
Shinji Aoba pleaded guilty to the attack. The prosecutor's office demanded the death penalty, saying that Aoba had the intention to attack the studio because he believed it had stolen his work. Aoba accused Kyoto Animation of plagiarizing and stealing his novel, which he had submitted for the contest.
The defendant's lawyers sought a more lenient sentence, citing his insanity. But the judges disagreed, ruling that Aoba was aware of his actions.
The defendant was not mentally insane at the time of the crime
Aoba was found guilty and sentenced to death, which is still in place in Japan for the most serious crimes, such as mass murder. The execution is carried out by hanging.
Recall
Shinji Aoba, now 45 years old, set fire to the studio by pouring gasoline on the building's entrance area. 36 employees of the anime studio died, many of them trapped on the upper floors of the building during the fire. Aoba himself suffered severe burns and underwent intensive treatment for almost a year.
The deadly attack on the studio in Kyoto caused a shock in Japan and abroad, given the large number of fans of the studio.