Man Gets Indefinite Term for Killing Probation Officer in Japan

Otsu, Shiga Pref., March 2 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese court on Monday gave an indefinite prison term to a 36-year-old man, in line with public prosecutors' demand, for murdering a volunteer probation officer in charge of him in Otsu in the western prefecture of Shiga in 2024.

Otsu District Court Presiding Judge Maki Taniguchi said that the man, Kohei Iitsuka, "made light of life remarkably" and that "the maliciousness of the crime is comparable to that of indiscriminate murder."

The key issue of the lay-judge trial is whether the defendant has the capacity to bear criminal responsibility for killing the probation officer, Hiroshi Shinjo, 60, while he was on probation over a different case of crime.

On this, the judge said that Iitsuka's psychological state leading up to the murder can be reasonably explained while noting that the defendant had developmental disabilities.

As to the defendant's claim that he "followed the voice of his guardian deity," the judge recognized his full criminal responsibility, saying, "He just confirmed his own thoughts in the form of questions."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]