TOKYO (TR) – Prosecutors are seeking a 17-year prison sentence for a 52-year-old man accused of murdering a 25-year-old bar hostess on the grounds of her apartment building in Shinjuku Ward last year, reports Jiji Press (July 10).
At around 3:00 a.m. on May 8, Manabu Wakui, of no known occupation, allegedly used two fruit knives to repeatedly stab Toshino Hirasawa, 25, in the stomach, neck and back in a courtyard of the building in Nishi Shinjuku. She was later confirmed dead.
At the Tokyo District Court on Thursday, the Hirasawa’s parents gave a statement. Her father said, “We request a sentence that will prevent her from ever returning to society. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect my daughter.”
As previously reported, Hirasawa had experience as a bar hostess all across Tokyo. Wakui was acquainted with her through his visits to her bars.
Later during the proceedings, the prosecution sought a 17-year prison sentence. “The two were merely in a pseudo-romantic relationship for the sake of sales, as a staff member and a customer at the club,” the prosecution said. “He murdered her out of obsession, and there is little room for leniency as far as his motive.”
Meanwhile, the defense argued that an 11-year prison sentence was appropriate. “She said she would marry him if he risked his life for her, so he sold his car and motorcycle, which were the second most important things to him after his life, and gave her more than 16 million yen,” the defense said. “The final blow was when she said bad things about him during a live stream.”
Regarding Wakui’s claim that he had asked Hirasawa to return the money, the prosecution pointed out that “this was merely an excuse for contact, and if he had wanted to resolve the matter he had time to take legitimate measures.”
In its closing argument, the prosecution argued that Wakui had kept at least one knife in his car for several months prior to the incident. “It was clear that he had the intent to harm someone,” the prosecution said. With the body of Hirasawa having suffered more than 20 stab wounds, the prosecution said that the crime was “a dangerous and brutal act based on a strong intent to kill.”
The ruling will be handed down on July 14.
