Warning of reenactment of Akihabara murder case…Convicted copycat “vague plea” first trial.
Regarding this incident, defendant Yuri said, “I wanted my classmates to see it. I am happy when I get likes, and I am aware that I am posting something that attracts attention so that I can get lots of likes,” he recalled. Regarding the terror threats in Akihabara, he said that he mentioned the names of the suspects Yamagami and K ato, a former death-row inmate, because he felt that many people would not get the message unless he mentioned the names of Yamagami and Kato.
Prosecutor: “Did you know that if you write a criminal threat, the police will catch you?”
Defendant Yuri: “I knew that, but I didn’t think it would be a problem because there were no murder or other extreme words.”
Yuri continued to tweet even after he tweeted the criminal threat in Akihabara. According to the prosecutor’s evidence, Yuri’s mother told him, “I warned him repeatedly to stop using social networking services, but he wouldn’t listen to me and kept looking at his phone even during meals. I hope he will be arrested and rehabilitated, as it is beyond the family’s control.
When asked about the contempt charge, Yuri continued, but insisted that he did not intend to insult Matsunaga. He replied that the content in the replies, such as “just looking for money and repercussions” and “make a new woman and start over,” were not directed at Mr. Matsunaga, but at the bereaved family of the traffic accident that occurred in Osaka on March 6 of this year. However, considering that he mentioned the real names of Mr. Matsunaga’s wife and daughter, who died in the tweet, it is hard to argue that he was referring to another incident.
Moreover, it turns out that after sending the reply, Yuri sent a direct message of apology to Ms. Matsunaga. He also sent a direct message to an acquaintance saying, “I sent a shitty reply to Matsunaga,” and “This Matsunaga guy looks like he has a lot of money, so I’m afraid he’s going to go to court.” This highlights the discrepancy between the crime and the statement.
