The trial for Jun Saito, accused of killing a mother, her husband, and their daughter in Saitama, begins today with the defense arguing that he was not mentally capable of criminal responsibility during the incident.
The trial of Jun Saito, a 43-year-old unemployed man accused of murdering three members of a family in HannΕ, Saitama Prefecture, is set to begin at the Saitama District Court today. The prosecution has charged him with murder and arson, alleging that on December 25, 2022, he attacked 69-year-old William Ross Bishop, his 68-year-old wife Izumi Morita, and their 32-year-old daughter Sophie Morita with an axe, resulting in their deaths. Following the killings, he is further accused of setting fire to their home. In response, Saito's defense team intends to argue for an acquittal, claiming he was in a state of mental incapacity at the time of the murders, which they assert absolves him from criminal responsibility as defined by Japanese law.
The legal principle of criminal responsibility is defined under Article 39 of the Japanese Penal Code, which states that individuals deemed to lack the capacity to understand their actions or control their behavior due to a mental disorder cannot be subjected to punishment. In preparation for the trial, the prosecution conducted approximately ten months of psychiatric evaluation before Saito's indictment, concluding that he was capable of criminal responsibility. Conversely, the defense also called for a psychological assessment post-indictment, which lasted about three months, reinforcing their position for a not guilty verdict based on mental incapacity.
As the trial unfolds, the court will focus on the circumstances leading up to the tragic events. Saito allegedly denied involvement during the investigation. Interestingly, he had been arrested three times within a year leading up to the murders for vandalizing the Bishops' car, but those cases were not prosecuted. The relationship between these prior incidents and the murders remains undetermined. The trial is scheduled for a total of eight sessions, including preliminary dates, with considerable attention on what Saito will disclose regarding his involvement during the testimony. The court's verdict is expected to be delivered on March 16, 2024.
