Hatakeyama Suzuka
~~~~~~~~~~~
Life sentence for woman upheld over murder of daughter, boy
Wednesday 25th March, 2009
The Sendai High Court on Wednesday upheld the life sentence given to a 36-year-old woman convicted of killing two children, including her own daughter, in Akita Prefecture, rejecting appeals by both prosecutors and the defense counsel. The court’s Akita branch found Suzuka Hatakeyama guilty of murdering her daughter Ayaka, 9, by dropping her from a bridge into a river in the town of Fujisato in April 2006, and strangling Goken Yoneyama, 7, the following month and abandoning his body.
The court recognized Hatakeyama’s intent to kill her daughter, with Presiding Judge Toshinori Takehana saying the defendant shoved Ayaka into the river after placing her on a ‘‘dangerous railing’’ and failing to take action showing she was worried about the girl’s safety after she fell.
In March last year, the Akita District Court said in sentencing Hatakeyama to life in prison that neither murder was premeditated and that the defendant could be rehabilitated.
While prosecutors had sought the death penalty considering the maliciousness of the crimes, the defense team asked for imprisonment for a definite term, arguing that Hatakeyama did not intend to kill Ayaka and that she was in a state of diminished capacity when murdering Goken.
The high court said it did not choose capital punishment as it determined that Hatakeyama’s murder of Goken was not premeditated and that she did not commit the crime for gain. But it said the defendant was in a ‘‘normal mental state’’ when she killed the boy, who had lived two doors down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Death penalty sought again for Akita woman over slaying of 2 kids
September 25th 2008
Prosecutors on Thursday again demanded the death penalty for a 35-year-old woman for murdering her 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old neighbor boy in Akita Prefecture in 2006. In the first appeal hearing in the high-profile murder case at the Sendai High Court’s Akita branch, the prosecutors claimed that the life sentence handed down by the Akita District Court on Suzuka Hatakeyama in March is ‘‘exceedingly light and is based on factual errors.’’
According to the ruling in March, Hatakeyama murdered her daughter Ayaka by dropping her into a river from a bridge in the Akita town of Fujisato on April 9, 2006, and strangled the boy Goken Yoneyama at her house on May 17 that year. The question of whether the killing of Ayaka was intentional has been the focus of the trial, with Hatakeyama having admitted to murdering the boy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akita woman who killed daughter, boy gets life term
March 20, 2008
AKITA (Kyodo) A 35-year-old woman was sentenced to life Wednesday for murdering her 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old neighbor boy in the town of Fujisato, Akita Prefecture, in 2006.
| Suzuka Hatakeyama |
Hatakeyama was convicted of killing her daughter, Ayaka, 9, in April 2006 by pushing her off a bridge into a river, and strangling Goken Yoneyama, 7, the following month at her home.
The court applied the charge of murder to both killings, rejecting the defense argument that the charge of negligence resulting in death should be applied to the daughter's death.
The defense immediately appealed the ruling to a higher court.
The court determined that Hatakeyama had intended to kill her daughter, rejecting her counsel's claim that she had not.
Hatakeyama initially confessed to investigators that she intended to kill her daughter, according to police, and the prosecutors claimed her confession proved Hatakeyama's intent to kill.
The court said her confession to investigators was trustworthy.
It said Hatakeyama felt her daughter was a nuisance, the contention made by prosecutors.
The court said that when the girl asked to see some fish, Hatakeyama's irritation intensified and she pushed her daughter off the bridge into the river.
Hatakeyama's counsel had denied she had intended to kill her daughter, maintaining she just brushed the girl off when her daughter, who was sitting on the railing of the bridge, tried to hold onto her.
The court said Hatakeyama was mentally competent when she strangled Yoneyama.
The defendant had admitted killing the boy, but her mental competence at the time was the other focal point of the trial.
The defense claimed she was in a state of diminished capacity.
On the boy's slaying, the prosecutors said Hatakeyama killed him to "divert suspicions from the public."
Judge Fujii took up the prosecutors' claim, saying Hatakeyama initially came up with the idea to "abduct" Yoneyama to divert the police investigation from her daughter's death.
But after the boy was invited to Hatakeyama's house on May 17, 2006, she felt sudden jealousy and hatred toward him when she saw him happily playing and suddenly decided to kill him, the judge said.
Hatakeyama then strangled the boy with a cord and later dumped his corpse on a river bank.
These circumstances, however, made it difficult for the court to say the murder was premeditated, the judge said.
At end of the court session, Hatakeyama turned toward Yoneyama's parents and made a "dogeza" deep bow — a show of apology in an extreme manner.
She said, "I'm sorry I took your son." Yoneyama's mother apparently ignored the apology by closing her eyes and turning her back.
Neighbors showed mixed reactions to Wednesday's ruling, with some expressing anger and others accepting that she was sentenced to life instead of death.
"I wonder why (Hatakeyama) doesn't deserve death," a 70-year-old farmer said. "I believe the sentence is too lenient."
But an 80-year-old woman said a life term is as heavy as the death penalty. "Execution takes only seconds, but a life term takes years. It's better to give (Hatakeyama) years to repent her crime," she said.
Wednesday's trial session drew some 3,000 people who lined up outside the court hoping for one of just 26 seats allocated for observers.
The Japan Times: Thursday, March 20, 2008
(C) All rights reserved
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CRIME
Akita woman sentenced to life for murder of daughter, boy
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:45 EST
[Suzuka Hatakeyama]
Suzuka Hatakeyama
AKITA — A 35-year-old woman was sentenced to life in a high-profile case on Wednesday for the murder of her 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old boy in her neighborhood in the town of Fujisato, Akita Prefecture, in 2006. The Akita District Court convicted Suzuka Hatakeyama of killing her daughter Ayaka, 9, in April 2006 by dropping her from a bridge into a river, and strangling a neighborhood boy, Goken Yoneyama, 7, the following month at her home. Public prosecutors had demanded the death sentence.
Hatakeyama's defense had denied she had an intention to kill Ayaka, maintaining she just brushed Ayaka off when her daughter, who was sitting on the railing of the bridge, tried to hold on to her. The defendant had admitted to killing the boy, but her mental competence at the time was the other focal point of the trial.
© 2008 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
JDPIC Note: The two hour closing argument by the prosecutor demanding the death penalty is onerous and divorced from legal procedure.
=========================
Gallows urged for woman in Akita child-slayings
AKITA (Kyodo) Prosecutors demanded the death penalty Friday for a 34-year-old woman on trial for the murders of her 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old neighbor boy in Akita Prefecture in 2006.
| Suzuka Hatakeyama |
The trial was scheduled to end Friday with final defense arguments, and the court is scheduled to hand down its ruling on March 19
In earlier closing arguments from the state, a prosecutor said, "The defendant had not been able to feel affection (for her daughter) since before (the killing) and killed her with definite intent."
Hatakeyama is accused of murdering her daughter by dropping her into a river from a bridge in the town of Fujisato, Akita Prefecture, in April 2006, and of strangling Yoneyama at her house the following month.
The prosecutor said Hatakeyama killed Yoneyama to "divert the public's suspicions," contradicting her counsel's argument that she was not criminally responsible due to being in a state of diminished capacity.
In earlier trial sessions, the prosecutors had argued that Hatakeyama felt an aversion toward her daughter. They said that when the girl asked to see some fish, these feelings of dislike intensified and she pushed her off the bridge.
Hatakeyama initially confessed to investigators that she intended to kill her daughter, according to police. Prosecutors claimed it was possible to prove Hatakeyama's intent to kill based on this confession, despite the lack of material or witness evidence.
They also said Hatakeyama searched for her daughter afterward to cover up her involvement in the killing.
Hatakeyama's counsel denied she intended to kill her daughter, maintaining she just brushed her off when her daughter, who was sitting on the railing of the bridge, tried to hold on to Hatakeyama and that she was too upset to try to rescue her.
The Japan Times: Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008
(C) All rights reserved
====================
Death sought for Hatakeyama / Prosecutors call for ultimate penalty over murders of daughter, boy
The Yomiuri Shimbun
AKITA--Prosecutors on Friday demanded that Akita District Court hand down the death sentence to Suzuka Hatakeyama, who was indicted on charges of murdering her daughter and a boy and abandoning their bodies.
A prosecutor said Hatakeyama's slaying of the two children demonstrated she is a "cold-blooded and cruel murderer."
"She repeatedly tried to cover up the murders in a cowardly fashion and has not yet shown any willingness to reflect on her crimes," he said.
The hearings came to an end after defense counsels delivered their closing arguments the same afternoon. The court will hand down a ruling on March 19.
During the closing arguments, a prosecution official said Hatakeyama, 34, had felt burdened raising her daughter, Ayaka, then 9, which may have strengthened her resolve to kill her.
The most significant point of contention in the trial is whether Hatakeyama intended to kill her daughter.
"When Ayaka asked her mother to let her view fish from a bridge, Hatakeyama's irritation and loathing reached the limits of her patience," he said.
The official stressed that Hatakeyama definitely harbored murderous intent. After ordering Ayaka to climb onto the rail of the bridge, she pushed her into the river and fled without trying to rescue her.
In previous hearing sessions, lawyers for Hatakeyama had denied she intended to kill her daughter, saying that when Ayaka, who was sitting on the rail, turned around to hold her mother, Hatakeyama--who reportedly seldom held her daughter--knocked Ayaka's hand aside with her left hand.
They did not deny that Hatakeyama killed Goken Yoneyama, then 7, saying she was mentally depressed at the time.
The 48-seat gallery in Akita District Court's No. 1 court was packed. Hatakeyama, her hair bunched to the left, appeared at 10:35 a.m., wearing a black jacket and trousers. She bowed slightly upon entering the court, but remain wooden-faced.
When a prosecutor demanded the death sentence after delivering an about two-hour closing argument, Hatakeyama stared at him without emotion, as though she was ready to accept the sentence.
Yoneyama's parents were in the gallery.
Yoneyama's mother, Machiko, 40, held a photo of her late son as she and her husband, Katsuhiro, 41, listened to the arguments while hanging their heads.
When the prosecutor said the bereaved family were rigorously seeking a death sentence, Machiko sobbed into a handkerchief and repeatedly wiped away tears.
Hatakeyama's mother, who appeared during the closing arguments, held a handkerchief and heaved a sigh when the death sentence was demanded.
During previous hearing sessions, Hatakeyama said she wanted the death sentence. However, when asked by a prosecutor during the previous session what she would do if the court determined Ayaka's death was not an accident, she said she might file an appeal, indicating her inner turmoil.
On Friday, the prosecutor said Hatakeyama harbored hatred for Ayaka because she felt her daughter stopped her having a free life.
"Her dislike of news reporters and her neighbors strengthened, and she killed Yoneyama to divert attention from the murder of her daughter," he said.
Overcome with emotion, the prosecutor's voice trembled when he quoted Machiko as saying she would have liked to have died in place of her son, if possible.
(Jan. 26, 2008)
====================
Prosecution seeks death for Akita woman accused of murdering daughter, neighbor boy
Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 03:19 EST
AKITA — Prosecutors on Friday demanded the death penalty for a 34-year-old woman for murdering her 9-year-old daughter as well as a 7-year-old boy living in her neighborhood in a town in Akita Prefecture in 2006.
The focal point in the trial of Suzuka Hatakeyama at the Akita District Court has been whether she had the intention of killing her daughter Ayaka, since Hatakeyama has already admitted to the murder of the boy, Goken Yoneyama.Hatakeyama is accused of murdering Ayaka by dropping her into a river from a bridge in the town of Fujisato, Akita Prefecture, in April 2006, and of strangling Goken at her house the following May.
In earlier hearings, the prosecutors had argued that Hatakeyama felt an aversion toward her daughter. They said that when the girl asked to see some fish, these feelings of dislike intensified and she pushed her off the bridge. In the case of Goken, the defense admitted that Hatakeyama murdered the boy but claimed that she was in a state of diminished responsibility.