EXCLUSIVE: Parents Want Son to Pay for His Crime of Killing Woman

Tokyo, Oct. 3 (Jiji Press)–The parents of a man arrested for allegedly killing an elderly woman in Machida, Tokyo, have expressed wishes for their son to atone for his crime. “We are sorry that our son took the life of an innocent person,” the parents of the suspect, Kota Kuwano, 40, told Jiji Press on Wednesday. They said: “Why did he make the wrong choice? We want him to recognize what he did and pay for his crime. ” On Thursday, Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department sent Kuwano to public prosecutors for alleged murder and violation of the swords and firearms control law. Kuwano is suspected of stabbing a 76-year-old woman at her apartment in Machida on Tuesday, soon after she returned from shopping. The woman died later in the day, after she was sent to hospital. He was arrested the same day on suspicion of attempted murder, and his charge was changed to murder later. Kuwano has told the police: “I’m tired of my current life. I wanted to kill anyone.” He also said: “A feeling of despair overwhelmed me. I hated everything, and I made up my mind to kill someone and end my life.” According to the parents, Kuwano “has not been very talkative since childhood and was a shy boy.” He has not been good at expressing his thoughts, so it has been difficult for him to build relationships with others, the parents said, adding that he was bullied at high school. At university, Kuwano joined the American football club with his friend and was enthusiastic about the sport. But after quitting the club due to a physical issue, he gradually became depressed. After graduating from the university, Kuwano started to work for a food company, but was unable to communicate well with his boss. He then took a leave of absence and quit about three years after joining the company. He later worked as a temporary employee sent by a staffing company. When he returned to his parents’ home two or three times a year, Kuwano sometimes complained about his work, saying, “It’s hard” or “It’s tough.” This year, he initially planned to return to his parents’ home in September. As he was not able to take days off during the month, Kuwano told his parents that he would return in October. Then the murder took place. The parents said they did not think their son was the kind of man who harms an innocent person. His mother said she has had very little appetite due to the shock of the incident, and expressed regret, saying, “I couldn’t help him before such a cruel thing happened.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]