Otsu District Court acquits woman in methanol poisoning case

The Otsu District Court has acquitted a 36-year-old woman accused of causing permanent visual impairment to her husband by mixing methanol into his drinks. The incident reportedly occurred in September 2023 at their residence in Ritto, Shiga Prefecture.

The prosecution argued that the defendant had purchased fuel alcohol containing methanol prior to the incident and noted that the husband had experienced abnormal tastes and vomiting in the months leading up to the event. However, the defense maintained that the defendant did not administer the substance and argued that it would be impossible to mix methanol without the victim noticing its smell or taste.

In the ruling, Judge Ryuichi Tokui stated that while there was a high possibility the defendant caused the ingestion, there was no direct evidence to confirm her culpability. The court noted that the possibility of the husband ingesting the methanol for the purpose of suicide could not be ruled out, leading to the not guilty verdict.