31-7-2023 (TOKYO) A Tokyo court has sentenced Kyota Hattori, 26, to 23 years in jail after finding him guilty of attempted murder and starting a fire on a train in Tokyo while dressed as the comic book villain, the Joker, during the 2021 Halloween attack. Hattori was convicted of stabbing a male passenger in his 70s and trying to kill 12 others by starting a fire inside the train.
The verdict was handed down by the Tokyo District Court’s Tachikawa branch, according to a spokeswoman for the court. Jiji Press and other local media reported that Hattori had told investigators that he wanted to kill people and be given the death penalty. He also admitted to spreading lighter fluid in the train.
Violent crime is rare in Japan, but there are occasional stabbings and even shootings. In July 2020, former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated. In August 2021, nine people were wounded, with one seriously injured, in a stabbing attack on a commuter train in Tokyo. The suspect later handed himself in after fleeing the scene.
The same month also saw two people suffer burns in an acid attack at a Tokyo subway station. The suspect was arrested and charged with assault. The incident sparked concerns about the safety of women on public transport, with many calling for better security measures to be implemented.
Kyota Hattori 26 ans, le jeune habillé en Joker le soir d’Halloween 2021, qui avait poignardé des passagers avant de mettre le feu dans un wagon d’un train sur la ligne Keio à Tokyo, a été condamné à 23 ans de prison.pic.twitter.com/YD6svwkD61
— ⛩ Ryo Saeba – Japon XYZ ⛩ (@Ryo_Saeba_3) July 31, 2023
