In 1974, two children disappeared at Kabutoyama Gakuen. Police arrested Ms. Yamada, nurse. However she is innocent. The Kabutoyama trial is still under way. Ms. Yamada and Mr. Araki were acuquitted by the Kobe District Court on March 24,1998. Ms.Tada also got the jugement of not guilty. But the Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office made decision to file Koso-appeal on April 6, 1998. This trial has continued for more than 24 years.
The second appeal trial before the Osaka High Court begins January 1999 and closes hearings with five sessions taking only two months. The decisions are scheduled to be given on September 29 for Yamada, on October 22 for Araki and October 29 for Tada. The Osaka High Court is definitely expected to give the third acquittal decisions for all three of them.
On September 12, 1999, a nationwide meeting to appeal for their innocence will be held at Kokumin-kaikan in Osaka by the Kabutoyama Case Support Group. Jakuchou Setouchi, a Buddhist nun and a famous novelist will make a keynote address at the meeting. Please check the Kabutoyama case yourself with our home page. 　（1999/8/15）