A Japanese court sentenced 28-year-old Haruki Soga to life in prison for killing two women in Nagoya in 2023.
The Nagoya District Court handed down the sentence on Friday after Soga admitted to the crimes. He was convicted of drowning a 30-year-old woman in the bathtub of their shared apartment and stabbing a 20-year-old woman at a karaoke venue between December 25 and 26, 2023.
Presiding Judge Takashi Ishikawa rejected the defense claim of diminished responsibility due to severe depression. The judge ruled that any impact from the condition was limited and that Soga had acted with clear intent.
Ishikawa described the killings as brutal and motivated by a strong desire to kill. He stated that Soga must spend the rest of his life paying for the crimes.