He told the police that he had killed 20 people in two months.
A Japanese nurse who killed three patients by contaminating their IV drips with disinfectant was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, local press reported.
During the trial, Ayumi Kuboki, 34, admitted to killing those patients in their 70s and 80s five years ago in a case that shook Japan.
He previously told police that he would have killed 20 people in two months, but later told prosecutors that he would not comment on it during the trial.
The Yokohama district court judge said he considered sentencing Kuboki to death, according to public broadcaster NHK.
“He said he regrets (his actions) and wants to pay for his crime. There is a possibility that it will be reformed, ”said the judge when he desisted from applying the death penalty.
Japan is one of the few industrialized countries that still applies the death penalty and more than 100 people await execution.
Prosecutors called for the death penalty for Kuboki but her lawyers argued that the woman suffered from depression due to the stress of the deaths of her patients and that her powers were diminished.
Kuboki had told the court that she did not want to be blamed by family members when something went wrong with her patients during her shift, and that she was “relieved” when one of the victims died, according to NHK.
NHK reported that the son of one of the victims was dissatisfied with the ruling.
“She killed innocent people for selfish reasons and was not sentenced to death. It’s wrong, ”he declared.
Capital punishment has high support in Japan despite international criticism. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
