Prosecutors on Tuesday sought life in prison with possible parole for the man charged with the murder of a 7-year-old girl in Tochigi Prefecture in 2005, a case that has been dogged by debate over the credibility of his confessions and a lack of reliable evidence.
In an earlier session of the lay judge trial at the Utsunomiya District Court, the defense counsel for Takuya Katsumata said the 33-year-old was not guilty and said he was coerced into making a false confession.
The court is scheduled to rule on March 31.