A man in Japan, who has been dubbed as “Twitter Killer” for enticing his victims on social media admitted in court Wednesday to murdering nine people.
The man has been identified as 29-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi.
However, his lawyers argued that the charges should be reduced because Shiraishi’s victims “had expressed suicidal thoughts and they gave their consent to be killed”.
Shiraishi has also been accused of mutilating his victims and storing body parts in cool boxes.
He is also facing rape charges, according to local media reports.
Shiraishi said charges against him are all correct.
Local media further reported that Shiraishi used his twitter account to contact his victims (between 15 and 26 years), who posted about suicide.
Shiraishi used to offer help to these people in their plans and in some cases said he would even die alongside them.
If convicted of murder, Shiraishi faces the death penalty, which is carried out by hanging in Japan.
But his lawyers want the charges against him reduced to “murder with consent”, which carries a prison sentence of between six months and seven years.