KOFU (Yamanashi Pref): Kofu District Court on Thursday became Japan’s first to pass a death sentence against a so-called designated minor under the revised juvenile law.

Presiding Judge Jun Mikami ruled that defendant Yuki Endo, 21, has a “low chance of rehabilitating,” approving the capital punishment as requested by public prosecutors.

Endo was 19 when he committed the 2021 murder and arson in Kofu, the capital of Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo. His name was disclosed by the prosecution after the indictment as permitted by the revised juvenile law.

Designated minors refer to 18- and 19-year-old crime perpetrators. They are basically eligible for protection under the revised juvenile law although the legal age of majority has been lowered to 18.

But they may be subject to tougher measures than their younger counterparts. For instance, media outlets are allowed to report their real names after they are indicted.

Endo is the first designated minor whose name was disclosed.

In the lay judge trial, what happened in the incident was not contested, so the focus was the degree of criminal liability.

The murder was planned given that Endo prepared in advance a fruit knife used to kill the victims, the ruling said, adding he was able to control his actions to fulfil his objective.

Although the defense argued that Endo had a mental disorder, the ruling recognized the credibility of a psychiatric test conducted during the criminal probes that found his judgments and behavior unaffected.

The ruling thus concluded that Endo was fully responsible.

As people aged 19 are treated as members of society to some extent, his age cannot be considered a decisive reason for avoiding death penalty, the ruling said.

“The loss of the two precious lives is extremely grave,” the ruling said, condemning Endo for being relentless, cruel and ruthless with a strong intent to kill.

According to the ruling and other information, Endo entered the house of a couple in Kofu in the early hours of Oct. 12, 2021, and stabbed them to death. He also attacked their second daughter and burned the house down.

JIJI Press