Minor to be tried for pushing man off train platform in Okayama
OSAKA —
The Osaka Family Court decided Thursday to send an 18-year-old man back to prosecutors to be tried in criminal court for allegedly pushing a man to his death at the JR Okayama Station in March. Judge Masao Kojima said while the family background of the man and his peculiar mental state were behind the incident, ‘‘he should face criminal punishment, considering the feelings of the victim’s bereaved family and the social impact.’‘
According to the court’s decision, the man pushed Kuniaki Kariya, a 38-year-old Okayama prefectural government official, from behind with his hands onto the railway tracks. Kariya was hit by an oncoming train and died of hemorrhagic shock. The decision follows the family court’s four-month investigation into the mental state and background of the man from Daito, Osaka Prefecture. His name and identity have been withheld because he is a minor.
A summary psychological test on the man by the Okayama District Public Prosecutors Office in April determined that he suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a pervasive developmental disorder. He was quoted as telling investigators during questioning, ‘‘I wanted to be detained in prison by killing someone, whoever it was.’’
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17 Comments
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Hughgarse
18 and a minor.. ridiculous... and 18 year old knows what they`re doing..
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Spidey
So, he is diagnosed with a known disease that predisposes him to violent behavior but yet he is still responsible for his own actions. So where exactly do the responsibilties lie for the society that allows him to walk around freely?
S
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cdninkyoto07
Hanging? Rather than waste tax payers money keeping him in prison... show him what the gallows look like!
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rtrhead1
so, from a summary (def: Performed speedily and without ceremony) examination, the docs "diagnosed" him with this syndrom? i personally don't put much stock in their diagnoses.
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smithinjapan
Good. Try him and lock him up... if that's indeed what he wanted as a result, now that the action has been carried out, it's win win. Just make sure when the moron decides that maybe 'prison isn't such a hot place' that you don't change your mind.
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medievaltimes
I dont know anything about this guys illness, but I do know I see an awful lot of mentally handicapped people in Japan roaming around without a guardian.
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Nippon5
TJrandom at 04:07 PM JST - 25th September
People may be predisposed to violent or criminal behavior. They need care and may need preventative monitoring or isolation. He probably should not have been allowed to roam freely and probably can morally be held accountable for his actions.
I changed it so it was more accurate..
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bamboohat
Does this mean if he killed some drunken homeless guy with no family, the punishment wouldn't be as severe?
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BBLeo
He is now 18! What will become of him when he is 28 and over. Punishment should be very strongly imposed on this tad, at his age he should receive full plate as an adult. 'THERE'S THE RUB:And this is what defendant said to police;‘I wanted to be detained in prison by killing someone, whoever it was.’ So, give him free accomodation behind the bars. Why is such person on the streets if he suffers from Asperger’s syndrome ..., is someone kidding me? Many killers are turning towards such fishing to avoid punishment for their crimes.
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moonbeams
This is the second time a killing was linked to Asperger's on JT.
Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous, there is no relation.
I have Asperger's.
It's not a disease, just a brain wired a little bit different than most people.
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thepro
give him the rope
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KitsuneYoukai
The reason: The guy wanted to be locked up in prison for killing someone??? This is crazy. Quite frankly, I've never heard of Asperger's here in the US when crimes of this nature are reported.
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realist
The judge said "he should face crininal punishment, considering the feelings of the bereaved victim`s family and the social impact." What a looney comment! Where does the law come into it, or does every criminal action in this country depend on "the feelings of the victim and the social impact?" Scary country, Japan.
We all know and have seen mentally sick people roaming around this country every day - because the "psychiatry" treatment in this country sucks. Instead of being kept in care and under surveillance, these people are allowed to roam free, drugged to the eyeballs so that they hopefully dont cause "meiwaku" to society. I know people who suffer from Asperger`s Syndrome - and I have never known any of them to carry out violent attacks like this one. Sounds like a cop-out to me, on the part of this young man and also on behalf of the judiciary.
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Molenir
Too bad he can't be tried as the adult he is. Or be punished with the noose as he so desperately deserves.
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