Kyoto Animation arsonist sentenced to death says he ‘accepts’ verdict

A Japanese man sentenced to death for an arson attack on an anime studio that killed 36 people in 2019 said he accepted the court’s verdict, a local media report said.

Shinji Aoba, 45, was convicted on Thursday over the blaze at the studios of Kyoto Animation — Japan’s deadliest crime in decades.

On Friday, his defense team, who had entered a plea of not guilty claiming he had a mental disorder, appealed the ruling.