HOKKAIDO (TR) – A courtroom Asahikawa City final week sentenced a 19-year-old lady to 23 years in jail for homicide and different crimes in opposition to a 17-year-old highschool lady, who was pushed right into a river from a bridge in Asahikawa City final April.
According to the ruling, the defendant from Asahikawa City dedicated homicide and different crimes together with Riko Uchida, 22, by forcing Runa Murayama, a 17-year-old highschool pupil from Rumoi City, to take a seat on the railing of the Kamui Ohashi bridge and pushing her off, inflicting her to fall to her dying, stories NHK (Mar. 7).
In his ruling handed down on March 7, presiding decide Yoshiyasu Ogasawara of the Asahikawa District Court mentioned, “There was no sign of any respect for the victim’s life or character. As well, the way the crime was carried out was cruel and extremely vicious.”
The decide went on to say that defendant, along with Uchida, pushed the sufferer, after having her sit on the railing. “It is clear that she was actively involved in the series of crimes,” he mentioned.
During the trial, the prosecution known as for a 25-year jail sentence. “It was an extremely cruel crime that violates the dignity of the person.”
Meanwhile, the protection argued {that a} 15-year jail sentence could be acceptable, saying the defendant have been merely following Uchida’s directions.
Judge Ogasawar additionally mentioned, “It is recognized that the central acts, such as the murder, were ordered by Uchida, and compared to the size of her role, this sentence can be said to be somewhat small.”
“We will not appeal”
After the trial, the defendant’s lawyer instructed reporters, “It is as the defendant said in court, ‘I will accept any sentence.’ We will not appeal.”
Following the ruling, the sufferer’s household made a press release by her lawyer. In response to the 23-year sentence, the assertion mentioned, “We understand that the court took into consideration the feelings of us, the victim’s family, within the bounds of the law, but considering that the life our 17-year-old girl is lost we feel that 23 years is too light.”
The assertion added, “Even now we cannot forgive the defendant, but we feel that the defendant’s testimony up until the time my daughter fell into the river was not just to protect herself, but was also the truth. Because of that, we were able to know how [the life of] our girl ended. I hope that the defendant will sincerely face up to what she has done and reflect on it.”
Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Asahikawa District Public Prosecutors’ Office Iwana Katsuhiko commented on the sentence, “The prosecutors’ arguments and evidence were largely accepted, and I believe that an appropriate sentence was reached.”
“Weighs heavily on my heart”
At a press convention held after the decision, a person in his 50s who served as a juror on this trial mentioned, “When I thought about the seriousness of the crime and its consequences, as well as the tragedy and cruelty, I felt that this was a terrible case, unprecedented. The trial is over and the verdict has been reached, but it still weighs heavily on my heart.”
When requested in regards to the defendant being 19 years previous on the time of the crime, he mentioned, “In terms of the seriousness of this crime, I didn’t consider her young age.”
Another male juror mentioned, “After the trial, my only impression is that it was painful. The video footage of the crime submitted as evidence was so shocking that I couldn’t believe it happened in real life.”
Another male juror mentioned, “Considering the crime she committed, I felt it was important to give her the same treatment as an adult and to properly judge her crime. However, when I think about my own children and myself when I was 19, I feel that at that age, there are some aspects of adulthood that are immature. It was very difficult to make a final decision.”
The case brought on aPrior to studying of the decision, a line of 203 folks shaped outdoors the Asahikawa District Court for the 26 obtainable seats inside.
The trial for Uchida has but to start.