crime

Man gets 17 years for killing ex-girlfriend in Saitama

15 Comments

The Saitama District Court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to 17 years in prison for killing his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend in January.

According to the court ruling, Yuya Toriyama attacked Kimika Kanai, a company employee from Kasukabe City, at around 5:55 p.m. on Jan 23 on the 5th floor of a building where she worked in Omiya Ward.

Kanai was taken to the hospital where she died shortly after arrival.

Another man who saw the attack managed to subdue Toriyama until police arrived.

The court heard that Toriyama, who is from Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture where he worked in the prefecture’s road management division, and Kanai had been in a relationship.

However, in September 2018, Kanai and her father consulted police in Kasukabe about Toriyama after he assaulted her when she told him she wanted to end their relationship. But she did not file a complaint and police only issued an oral warning to Toriyama to stay away from Kanai.

On the day before the murder, Toriyama assaulted Kanai again and she and her father made an appointment to visit police on the night of her death to file a complaint. Toriyama attacked Kanai outside her office before she could go to the police station.

Toriyama’s office said that he left work at around 1:15 p.m. that day, saying he wasn’t feeling well.

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15 Comments
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garypenDec. 4 10:59 pm JST

What you're "in the mood for" is irrelevant.

Yeah, but you denying the "mood" for an entire nation and legal system.

"Just simple murder" deserves life imprisonment

Let me just say that this assertion may be the posiition of common law, but not civil (continental) law. What's happening here is consistent (in addition with Japanese law) to both German and Russian criminal law (the latter being the basis of that set of aggravators put in the previous post)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, not everyone is in the mood for the common law penchant of heavy penalties.

What you're "in the mood for" is irrelevant.

The guy missed a huge train of potential aggravating factors, to include only a single victim, not in connection with performance of official duty, nor a minor, not pregnant, not with extreme cruelty or particularly dangerous manner, not by a group of persons, not for money, the motive is a regular one (for murder), not for concealing another crime, not for hatred against a social group or to use her organs. "Just" simple murder.

"Just simple murder" deserves life imprisonment, especially when it is premeditated, cold-blooded, and preceded by multiple instances of assault. (It's also a pretty offensive term, btw.)

17 years is fine.

17 years is so far from fine, it would take a shinkansen three and a half weeks at top speed to get from "17 years" to "fine".

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well, not everyone is in the mood for the common law penchant of heavy penalties. The guy missed a huge train of potential aggravating factors, to include only a single victim, not in connection with performance of official duty, nor a minor, not pregnant, not with extreme cruelty or particularly dangerous manner, not by a group of persons, not for money, the motive is a regular one (for murder), not for concealing another crime, not for hatred against a social group or to use her organs. "Just" simple murder.

17 years is fine.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

The only thing that I can read from this story is the lack of support from the police.

i'm confused as to how else the police could have "supported" this woman who didn't file a complaint? guard her 24/7? jail the guy? i mean come on. the only person to blame for this crime is the idiot who committed it. smfh...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He'll be 43 when he gets out. Still half of his life to live. She'll still be dead. Only 1/4 of her life lived.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I wonder why she did not file a complaint, did the police advice against it?

Earlier reports at the time of the murder said the police had recommended she file a complaint, but she declined.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

'wasn’t feeling well'

That ain't no excuse for murdering someone. And 17 years IS a bit light for something like this. Of course both parties are young 20-somethings but the worst part is that the dead woman was 22 and her life was just starting to get off the ground. She could've discovered something brilliant or worked on something revolutionary but that rotten jerk snuffed out potential light. Egotistical abusive scumbag.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of men who kill their girlfriend / ex-girl-friend get this identical 17 year sentence?! Particularly out in the chiho....

4 ( +4 / -0 )

17 years for taking a life.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Spitfire: "The Japanese 'Justice System' appears to be totally arbitrary and loaded in favour of 'elites' or those with connections."

It's quite well-known that the judges just reach inside a bell jar while an appointed court person starts a drum roll, then hits the symbol when the judge pulls out a slip or paper, unfolds it, and reads the verdict that's been drawn. Or at least, that's an awful lot how it seems to be, given how haphazard sentences are.

In any case, 17 years is not enough. Should be life, minimum, especially given that he attacked her twice and this was premeditated. But hey, TIJ.

Kudos to the man who held Toriyama down until police arrived. That couldn't have been easily, given what he witnessed.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The Japanese 'Justice System' appears to be totally arbitrary and loaded in favour of 'elites' or those with connections.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It would be nice if we could get more details as to why the light-sentencing. This would many readers understand the Japanese system a bit more.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

The sentence should at least be life imprisonment, if not death by hanging.

I don't understand what justification the court could possibly use for such a light sentence.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

The only thing that I can read from this story is the lack of support from the police.

But she did not file a complaint and police only issued an oral warning to Toriyama to stay away from Kanai.

I wonder why she did not file a complaint, did the police advice against it? In that case they would also be guilty. Japan definitely needs to ramp up support for victims of DV/stalking/child abuse.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Pretty leanient sentence for pre-planned murder.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

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