Defendant's mother ``I will provide for them until I die'' testifies in court in double murder case

The defendant, a 42-year-old mother who was charged with murder for stabbing her two children to death in her apartment in Mito City three years ago, was held at the Mito District Court on the 19th, and the defendant was questioned for the second time. ``I started working on Saturdays and Sundays at work, and my condition got worse and worse,'' he said, adding, ``I should have quit my job sooner. I should have gone to a (psychiatric) hospital.''

The indictment alleges that from the night of July 23, 2023 to the morning of the following day, July 24, the defendant stabbed his eldest son (age 8 at the time), who was in a third grade at elementary school, and his eldest daughter, a daycare student (age 5 at the time), in the neck with a kitchen knife, killing them while they were sleeping in his apartment. At the time, the defendant was working part-time at a restaurant. Prosecutors pointed out at the first trial that the defendant was suffering from psychogenic depression.

When questioned by the defense, the defendant's health had been deteriorating for about a month before the incident, and ``all he could do was put his child to bed safely.'' When asked if working too much was the cause, he answered, "It's not the only thing, but that's one thing."

The defendant said, ``I hope (both of them) rest in peace in heaven.'' Immediately after the incident, he said, ``Please give him the death penalty,'' but now he has no intention of committing suicide, and says, ``[Atonement] is to hold a memorial service for the two of them until I die.''

During the witness examination, the defendant's mother took the witness stand.

He said that before the incident, he knew about a change in management policy at his workplace that was causing the defendant's health to deteriorate, and said, ``If only I had dug in and asked about it.I felt pathetic.I didn't notice anything unusual.''

The remains of her eldest son and daughter are said to be at her parents' home in Wakayama Prefecture. The mother said, ``I'm sorry (to her two grandchildren). What my daughter did is unforgivable. I want to hold a memorial service with (the defendant) as soon as possible.'' During the mother's testimony, tears were flowing from the defendant's eyes.

The case is scheduled to conclude on the 21st of this month after the prosecution's argument and the defense's closing argument. The verdict will be handed down on November 5th.