The Tokyo High Court has upheld a ruling that found a 38-year-old American man not guilty of killing his 31-year-old estranged Japanese wife in 2019 on the grounds of insanity.
The court dismissed the prosecutors’ appeal at the end of a second trial on Wednesday, upholding the ruling of the lay judge trial at the Tokyo District Court, Sankei Shimbun reported.
The first ruling said the man, whose name hasn’t been revealed, committed the crime due to delusions and auditory hallucinations caused by schizophrenia.
Presiding Judge Masayoshi Tamura said: "The prosecution has not been able to prove that the delusions and auditory hallucinations were false, and this is not enough to overturn the first-instance ruling."
The crime occurred on March 20, 2019, near a security checkpoint at the entrance to the Tokyo Family Court where the man and his wife, who lived in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, were to settle their divorce.
The man stabbed the woman in the neck and she died later that day in hospital.
The man fled and was caught in nearby Hibiya Park. He had three knives and bottles containing a liquid thought to be gasoline. He had also cut his wrists and was taken to hospital.
Witnesses said they saw the suspect, who was not expected in court, sitting on a bench in the lobby of the court building just before his wife arrived.
© Japan Today
6 Comments
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Gaijinjland
My ex wife was schizophrenic. They often think outside forces, government, aliens, etc are beaming signals into their brain or are hearing voices from god. Scary. Is this guy free now are being treated/ held in a psychiatric hospital?
Garthgoyle
So is he free and out on the public, or sentenced to be held in some kind of mental institution for the next 30 something years?
Sanjinosebleed
How do you prove the unprovable?
Regardless he murdered someone! So he should be behind bars regardless of his mental capacity!
Yohan
This man is dangerous and should be either in prison or in a secure mental ward.
Where is he now? Free to walk around in Japan? As US citizen he should be transferred to the States.
TokyoLiving
Gallows for that clown..
masterblaster
Despite his delusions and hallucinations, he had several knives and gasoline. This shows preplanning. He should be held accountable.
Having a mental illness isn't a free pass to commit a crime. In fact many people who live with this same illness would not want to use it as an excuse.