In the appeal by former Aum Shinrikyo senior member Kazuaki Okazaki, 41, accused of the murder of lawyer Tsutsumi Sakamoto, his wife and baby as well as a male member of the cult, presiding
Judge Yoshimasa Kawabe of the Tokyo High Court Dec. 13 upheld the death penalty
that was handed down in the first trial at the Tokyo District Court and
rejected Okazaki's appeal.
The judge said that his decision was based on the fact that "Despite
knowing that the act would never be acceptable, Okazaki committed the crime. He
murdered four people, including a totally innocent baby, which can only be
described as cruel. We can even say that he basically played the leading
role."
This is the first death penalty ruling of the appellate court in a series of
Aum-related crimes.
The judge at the first trial acknowledged that Okazaki turned himself in to
police because of his participation in the series of crimes. Kawabe at the
appeal court, however, pointed out that his motivation was not to atone for his
crime, but only for "self-preservation," and found him to have no
real remorse.