Care home stabbings accused handwritten letter detailing intent to “kill many disabled people”

From NHK & Barrier Free Japan

January 6th 2020

The photograph (below) is a letter written by Satoshi Uematsu:

In the letter, Uematsu said he wanted to tell the Japanese Prime Minister about his plan to “kill many disabled people”. His name and address were written down, as is address of the Tsukui Yamayuri Garden, Sagamihara City, the care home where he worked, and where the attack took place.

As The Mainichi Shimbun reported, on February 14th 2016, Uematsu attempted to deliver the handwritten letter to the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, but staff refused to accept it.

Uematsu attempted again to deliver the letter the following day, and the letter was accepted. The Metropolitan Police Deparment then alerted Kanagawa Prefectural Police about the letter and its contents.

In the handwritten note, Uematsu states that: “I can eliminate a total of 470 people with disabilities,” mentioning two target facilities, one of which was Tsukui Yamayuri Garden. In the letter he also states that:

“[T]he mission will be carried out during the night shift, when there are few staff…I will prevent staff from moving or making contact with the outside world by tying them up with cable ties…I will turn myself in after the elimination.”

After the letter was discovered, Sagamihara City responded with “hospitalization measures”, a compulsory hospitalization order based on a doctor’s diagnosis, stating that “there is a risk of harming others.”

However, the defendant was discharged from the hospital 12 days later, as determined by another doctor.

About four months later the incident at the Tsukui Yamayuri Garden facility occurred.

After the arrest, the prosecutor’s psychiatrist indicated that he had multiple personality disorders, including “narcissistic personality disorder,” but the prosecutor charged the defendant as being able to be held criminally accountable.