Sagamihara stabbings

Tsukui Yamayuri En 2021-11-11

== Sagamihara stabbings ==

The Sagamihara stabbings were a mass stabbing incident that occurred on July 26, 2016, at the Tsukui Yamayuri En care facility for disabled people in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The attack resulted in the deaths of 19 residents and injuries to 26 others, making it one of the deadliest mass murders in post-war Japan.

Background

The Tsukui Yamayuri En care facility is located in the city of Sagamihara, which is part of the Kanagawa Prefecture. The facility provides care and support for people with disabilities. The attacker, Satoshi Uematsu, was a former employee of the facility. He had been dismissed from his position in February 2016 after expressing extremist views and making threats against the residents.

The Attack

In the early hours of July 26, 2016, Satoshi Uematsu broke into the Tsukui Yamayuri En care facility armed with several knives. He went from room to room, attacking the residents. The attack lasted for about 40 minutes before Uematsu turned himself in at a nearby police station. He was immediately arrested and taken into custody.

Victims

The attack resulted in the deaths of 19 residents, aged between 19 and 70. An additional 26 residents were injured, with 13 of them sustaining serious injuries. The victims were all residents of the Tsukui Yamayuri En care facility, which housed people with various disabilities.

Perpetrator

Satoshi Uematsu was a 26-year-old former employee of the Tsukui Yamayuri En care facility. He had been dismissed from his job earlier in the year after expressing extremist views and making threats against the residents. Uematsu had previously submitted a letter to the House of Representatives (Japan) outlining his plan to kill disabled people, which led to his temporary detention in a psychiatric hospital. However, he was released after 12 days when doctors deemed him not to be a threat.

Legal Proceedings

Following his arrest, Satoshi Uematsu was charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. During his trial, Uematsu showed no remorse for his actions and claimed that he was trying to "save" the disabled residents from what he perceived as a life of suffering. In March 2020, he was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to death by the Yokohama District Court.

Reactions

The Sagamihara stabbings shocked Japan and drew widespread condemnation from both domestic and international communities. The incident sparked a national conversation about the treatment and perception of people with disabilities in Japan. Various disability rights organizations called for increased awareness and better protection for disabled individuals.

See Also

• Mass stabbings
• Disability rights movement
• Mental health in Japan
• List of rampage killers

This 2010s related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it.