In the 22nd and final trial for the Kyoto Animation arson murder case, the Kyoto District Court heard the prosecution’s and the defense’s closing argument, and defendant Shinji Aoba’s final statement on Dec 7, 2023.

Closing arguments:

The prosecution demanded the death penalty for Aoba, who had admitted to the 2019 arson attack on Kyoto Animation Co. which killed 36 people, saying that the defendant’s conduct was “premeditated, extremely dangerous and truly cruel, having a significant impact on society.”

“It is an unprecedented case of arson and mass murder, and the number of victims is by far the largest in the history of Japanese criminal trials,” the prosecution said. “It is virtually impossible to imagine the shock, anger and grief of the bereaved families.”

The defense, in their closing argument, said that Aoba should not be handed a death penalty and that should be acquitted or given a reduced sentence...