New progress in Kyoto Animation trial: Medical evaluations of the prosecution and defense on mental issues are completely different

The much-watched trial of the Kyoto Animation incident saw major disagreements today, October 30. Regarding the "suspect's mental state", the most critical issue in the conviction evidence, the medical appraisal results submitted by the prosecution and the defense were completely different. Let's take a look.

Shinji Aoba, the suspect in the Kyoto Animation incident, has only recently entered the formal trial stage after years of meticulous burn treatment. After more than a month of trial, on October 30, the most critical stage of the criminal case conviction, the trial of the "suspect's mental state" issue, began.

·However, the problem is that the prosecutor's medical expert, Dr. Wada Naoki of the Osaka Red Cross Hospital, said that "the defendant's previous delusional hatred towards Kyoto Animation did not affect his criminal motive", while Dr. Okada Yukiyuki of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, who was invited by the defense, submitted a certificate stating that "the suspect's delusional disorder formed his criminal motive", meaning that mental problems led to the crime.

In Japan, the criminal responsibility of a suspect is closely related to his "mental state". The views and evidence of the prosecution and defense in this case are completely different. How the judge chooses will directly affect the final conviction and sentencing of Shinji Aoba. The public media are paying close attention to the follow-up developments.

Shinji Aoba, the suspect in the Kyoto Animation incident, deliberately set fire to the Kyoto Animation headquarters in July 2019, killing 36 people and injuring 32 people, including himself.