The mother of Tetsuya Yamagami, who is standing trial in connection with the 2022 killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, told a court she feels guilty for her son’s actions, saying that she herself “is the perpetrator,” media outlets have reported.
Despite this, the mother, who appeared at the Nara District Court as a defense witness on Tuesday, said she wants to keep her faith in the Unification Church, a controversial religious group.
The church’s influence on her family has become a focal point of the murder trial, as the defense hopes to portray Yamagami as a victim of child abuse as part of efforts to seek leniency.
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