A former nurse who killed three patients by contaminating their intravenous infusions with disinfectant was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday (November 9) by a Japanese court, according to local media.
During her trial, Ayumi Kuboki, 34, admitted to killing patients in their 70s and 80s five years ago in a case that shocked Japan.
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She previously told police she may have killed 20 people in just two months, but then told prosecutors she couldn't comment on that during the trial.
The nurse "relieved" after the murders
The judge presiding over the Yokohama District Court said he had considered sentencing Ayumi Kuboki to the death penalty, state broadcaster NHK reported. "
She said she regretted (her actions) and wanted to pay for her crime, there is a chance that she will make amends, and I couldn't help but hesitate to choose the punishment." of death
”declared the judge. Prosecutors had requested the death penalty for Ayumi Kuboki, but the nurse's defense allegedly argued that she suffered from depression due to stress caused by the deaths of her patients and that her abilities were impaired.
The nurse told the court that she did not want to be blamed by her family members when something bad happened to her patients while on duty, and that she felt "
relieved
" when one of the victims died. , according to NHK.
Court officials were unavailable for comment on Tuesday afternoon.
With around 100 inmates on death row, Japan is one of the few industrialized countries to continue to apply the death penalty by hanging.
Support for the death penalty remains strong in the archipelago despite international criticism, including from human rights organizations.