The Chiba District Court has sentenced a 51-year-old man to 16 years in prison for the hit-and-run death of an 18-year-old student in 2019.
According to the court ruling handed down on Thursday, Kenichi Naito was driving drunk when he rear-ended Shunsuke Azusa, who was riding a motorbike, with his car at around 11:50 p.m. on Jan 2, 2019, along National Route 357 in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Fuji TV reported. Naito kept going and dragged Azusa along with him for about 1.4 kilometers.
Naito’s lawyer had asked the court for a lighter sentence, arguing that Naito was unaware he had hit anyone.
© Japan Today
14 Comments
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bakakuma
Same sentence as victim would have been true justice.
kochikame
He deserved at least 30 years in prison.
shogun36
They should give the lawyer 16 years for coming up with that trash.
Even more so he was at fault if he didn’t know what his driving surroundings were.
Stewart Gale
16 years for a hit by and run drink driving death, that’s a serious sentence.
It just makes it more difficult for me to understand some of the other sentencing in the courts in Japan. For example, I’ve seen parents and guardians who have abused and neglected children under their care, leading to those dearhs receive much less severe custodial sentences than this case.
I’ve seen shorter murder sentences too.
Maybe in Japan it just depends which judge you get, what crimes he really hates and what kind of mood he is on the day.
Stewart Gale
*leading to their deaths
3RENSHO
MatejToday 11:23 am JST
"eye for eye teeth for a teeth ...would be better kind of justice"
Fortunately, we do not reside in Afghanistan.
lostrune2
Because he was drunk!
Who's fault is that?!
egalite
How can 16 years in prison possibly be a commensurate sentence when the man has taken the life of an 18 year old boy and that is because he couldn't care less to abstain from drinking while driving. Should be reviewed and the judge retrained. I doubt he has children
kurisupisu
The sentence should be heavier for a complete failure to notice that a rear end accident had occurred!
Fighto!
Too lenient. 50 years non-parole would have been more appropriate for this killer.
Rest in Peace to the poor young man. His parents will never get over his death.
TrafficCone
If he was truly unaware that he was dragging a human life the penalty should be greater not less!!!