is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

serial killer who acted as an accomplice to

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

Futoshi Matsunaga.

Early life and murders

Ogata was born in

Kurume is a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 295,367 in 137,140 households, and a population density of 1309 people per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kurume is located in the Chikugo Plain ...

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders ...

, and grew up in a wealthy family. She was Matsunaga's schoolmate in high school, but she did not know him very well, and he transferred to another school. She was originally a gentle person and got a job in a preschool, but changed after she started dating Matsunaga in 1982. Ogata had remained a virgin until she became involved with Matsunaga, but he suspected her of having relationships with other men. During their relationship, she and Matsunaga had two sons. Matsunaga abused her severely. He insisted that Junko's mother tried to seduce him, so he abused her, but during the trial Junko began to suspect that Matsunaga had

raped Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person w ...

her mother. He eventually recruited her in his murder spree. She became cruel under his influence. Matsunaga and Ogata killed at least seven people between 1996 and 1998. Their victims included Kumio Toraya, her parents, her sister, her sister's husband and her niece & nephew.

Arrest and trial

Ogata was arrested in March 2002. Japanese writer Masayoshi Toyoda supported her, and created doubt about the trial in his book published in November 2005. When he first tried to meet with her he was not allowed because she was a murderer, but he was eventually allowed to meet her on September 27, 2005. Ogata was sentenced to die in a Fukuoka district court on September 28, 2005, a sentence she

appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...

ed on October 11. The court tried six murders, and her father's death was regarded as

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

. On September 26, 2007, the high court in Fukuoka sentenced her to

life in prison Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are co ...

, rejecting the death penalty. Prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court, which narrowly upheld the life sentence.

References

External links

Kitakyushu Serial Murders
''Japan Children's rights Network'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ogata, Junko 1962 births Japanese female serial killers Japanese murderers of children Japanese people convicted of murder Japanese prisoners sentenced to death Living people Patricides People convicted of murder by Japan People from Kurume Prisoners sentenced to death by Japan Women sentenced to death

Early life and murders

Arrest and trial

See also

References

External links