18-year-old gets 12 years for stabbing Osaka teacher to death

The Osaka District Court on Thursday sentenced an 18-year-old youth to 12 years in prison for killing an elementary school teacher and injuring two other school staff members with a knife in February last year, rather than sending him back to family court.

The focus of the trial was on how the court would handle a minor who was diagnosed in mental examinations as having a type of pervasive developmental disorder, also known as autism spectrum disorder, which makes it difficult for him to communicate with others. The court acknowledged the influence of the disorder on him in committing the crime and said there is a need for rehabilitation to help him better adapt to life in society after serving his time by, for instance, assigning an instructor with specialized knowledge on his disorder.