The Sapporo High Court in Japan overturned the death...

The Sapporo High Court in Japan overturned the death sentence given to Kazuyuki Oikawa, 26, for the murder of two children and the attempted murder of another on 8 August 2001, sentencing him to life in prison.
Oikawa had been sentenced to death by the Obihiro branch of Kushiro District Court in March 2002 for the murder of Tetsuya and Masami Kikuchi, then 2 and 5 years old, respectively, and the attempted murder of their older sister, Kazumi, 8, in Hiroocho, Hokkaido.
Presiding Judge Ichiro Nakasone overturned the 2002 sentence and sentenced Oikawa to life in prison, saying he did not believe that capital punishment was unavoidable.
"It was an unpremeditated crime that happened when the defendant was in an extreme state of panic," the ruling said.
The ruling also said although the crime was horrible and cruel, Oikawa had "shown signs of seriously reflecting and repenting over what he has done," pointing out that the crime was not planned, Oikawa had surrendered himself to the police, he was young, and he had concluded a settlement under which he will pay the Kikuchi family 20 million yen.
"There's plenty of room left for reform. It's sufficient for the defendant to spend the rest of his days praying for the souls of the children and trying to rehabilitate himself," Nakasone said in the ruling.
The lower court ruling had said, "Oikawa's crime, in which he repeatedly stabbed innocent and helpless toddlers, is fully deserving of the death penalty."
According to Tuesday's ruling, Oikawa broke into the home of Hajime Kikuchi, 47, on the to steal money. He ran out of the house after finding the three children at home alone, but returned because he thought the children had seen his face. The children were making a lot of noise, so he stabbed Kazumi with a box cutter, injuring her. He then stabbed the other two children with a knife he took from the kitchen. Both died due to blood loss.