“If I go to prison， I won’t have any financial problems” 74-year-old woman who set fire to her own apartment receives five-year prison sentence defense seeks suspended sentence

A lay judge trial for a 74-year-old unemployed woman (registered domicile: Yamashita-cho, Kagoshima City, with no fixed address) who was charged with arson of an inhabited building for setting fire to and burning down her own apartment in Kagoshima City was held on the 20th at the Kagoshima District Court, with the prosecution seeking a five-year prison sentence. The verdict will be announced on the 26th. The prosecution pointed out that there was a risk of endangering the lives and property of multiple people, including other residents and nearby residents. “The selfish and short-sighted motive of those in prison, hoping that they would be able to live comfortably, deserves strong condemnation,” he argued. The defense argued for a suspended sentence, arguing that “the fact that he was struggling financially and ignorantly chose to go to prison cannot be considered malicious.” According to the indictment, at around 4:00 p.m. on August 28, 2023, the defendant used a lighter to set fire to clothing, rolled up flyers, empty boxes, etc. in his room in an apartment where five other people lived, causing the fire to spread to the ceiling and walls, burning an area of ​​83.9 square meters. Minami Nippon Shimbun.

「刑務所に入れば生活に困らない」と他に5人住むアパート自室に放火　74歳無職女に懲役5年を求刑　鹿児島地検 | 鹿児島のニュース | 南日本新聞

鹿児島市の自宅アパートに火を付けて焼損させたとして、現住建造物等放火の罪に問われた本籍同市山下町、住所不定、無職の女（７４）の裁判員裁判論告求刑公判が２０日、鹿児島地裁であり、検察側は懲役５年を求刑した。判決は２６日。

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