Man sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison, death due to injury, wife's body never found - Osaka District Court

On the 20th, the Osaka District Court handed down a verdict in the jury trial of Yoshifumi Kuroki (36), who was accused of assaulting his wife to death and abandoning her body. Presiding Judge Akira Karashima rejected the defense's claim of innocence and sentenced him to 12 years and six months in prison, which exceeded the original sentence.

The body of his wife, Izumi, then 52, was never found, and the defense argued that ``there is a possibility that she was not dead.'' The defendant remained silent throughout.

In his ruling, Presiding Judge Karashima determined that Kuroki caused the death, based on the testimony of neighbors who heard noises and the woman's screams, and blood stains found in the house. ``The assault was extremely vicious and the loss of life is extremely serious.''

According to the ruling, Kuroki assaulted Izumi to death in May 2024 and abandoned her body in June of the same year.