Sagamihara Facility Attack Perpetrator's Second Retrial Request Rejected

Satoshi Uematsu, the former employee convicted and sentenced to death for the 2016 mass killing and injury of 45 people at the Tsukui Yamayuri En, a facility for intellectually disabled individuals in Sagamihara, has had his second retrial petition rejected. According to reports released on June 24, 2026, Uematsu filed the retrial petition in January 2026, which was subsequently dismissed by the Yokohama District Court in February. This rejection follows the Supreme Court's October 2025 decision to dismiss his first retrial petition, which had been filed in 2022. The court had previously stated that Uematsu's claims amounted to merely "expressing his own views" rather than presenting evidence warranting retrial. Under Japanese criminal law, a retrial can only be granted when "newly discovered clear evidence that should lead to acquittal" is presented. Uematsu's defense team is now considering filing additional retrial petitions, though legal experts note such requests may conflict with the fundamental purpose of the retrial system. Uematsu continues to maintain discriminatory views toward severely disabled individuals and insists that his actions were not criminal in nature, a position that has prompted expected opposition from the victims' families.