A man on trial over a fatal knife rampage in 2016 at a care home for people with mental disabilities told a court Wednesday that he committed the murders because he felt "it would be beneficial to society."
Satoshi Uematsu, 30, who has admitted to killing 19 residents and injuring dozens more at the facility in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, made the remark in response to questioning by a victim's relative at the 10th hearing of his trial at the Yokohama District Court. The question was posed by the younger brother of a 60-year-old woman who was killed in the attack.
When asked about his current state of mind, Uematsu said, "It pains me to talk with the family of the deceased," and that he apologized to the victims. But he attempted to justify his actions, saying, "I think (the attack) was the most meaningful thing I could do," adding, "It is wrong to take care of those with serious mental disabilities."