A psychiatric evaluation of the man accused of fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has determined him mentally fit to be held criminally responsible for his actions, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
The defense for Tetsuya Yamagami did not contest the results of the evaluation, which had been conducted at the request of prosecutors, and effectively deferred a request for another evaluation, the sources said.
The trial of Yamagami, 43, who was arrested for the shooting in July 2022 in the western city of Nara, is now expected to focus on how he grew up, as well as the lethality of the homemade gun he used in the incident. A date for the first hearing has yet to be determined.
Abe was shot at close range by Yamagami during a campaign speech outside a train station two days ahead of a national election.
Yamagami has told investigators he targeted Abe due to his perceived links to the Unification Church, a religious group known for its mass weddings and aggressive donation solicitations, and that Yamagami’s family fell into financial ruin due to his mother’s large financial donations.
The group, founded in South Korea in 1954 by a staunch anti-communist, was later established in Japan with the support of Abe’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi.
BY: The Times Union / KYODO
