Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty In 2019 Kyoto Animation Arson Case

Japanese prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the man behind a 2019 arson attack on a Kyoto Animation studio that killed 36 people and injured 32 more.

When he was arrested on the scene, Shinji Aoba (45) told police he had attacked the studio because he believed Kyoto Animation had stolen ideas from him. Before the attack, Aoba had submitted some of his writing to a contest run by the studio, and he believed those ideas were later used without crediting him.

In September of this year, Aoba admitted to the court that he started the fire, but his lawyers argued he was mentally unstable when he committed the attack and should be acquitted or face a reduced sentence.

Last week, prosecutors argued the attack was a deliberate act of revenge and that Aoba planned it with a clear intention to kill. They claimed he was fully aware of what would happen in the fire.

According to police reports and Aoba’s comments, he broke into Kyoto Animation’s Studio 1 building on July 18, 2019, and began spreading gasoline on employees and their workstations before lighting the fuel and shouting, “Drop dead.” In the attack, Aoba suffered life-threatening burns which required a dozen surgeries.

According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, on Wednesday of last week, Aoba apologized in court for the first time. He also said that, in a way, he feels the death penalty would be an appropriate punishment for his actions.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2024.