Sarin nerve gas suspect Takahashi still influenced by cult, psychologist says

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Sarin nerve gas suspect Takahashi still influenced by cult, psychologist says

PUBLISHED : Monday, 08 December, 2014, 3:32am
UPDATED : Monday, 08 December, 2014, 3:32am

Kyodo in Tokyo

Katsuya Takahashi faces trial for 1995 nerve gas attack in Tokyo.

Former AUM Shinrikyo member Katsuya Takahashi, who is set to go on trial next month, is still under the influence of brainwashing by the doomsday cult, a social psychologist who has met him at a detention centre said.

"He is still influenced by the (cult's) doctrine and looked like a believer," said Kimiaki Nishida, professor at Rissho University.

"The fear of a cult lies in being unable to be free of brainwashing even though he has led a social life for a long time" after departing from the group.

It is the first time since his arrest in June 2012 after being on the run for about 17 years that the condition of 56-year-old Takahashi has been revealed.

The former AUM member has been charged with murder over the cult's deadly sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995, which killed 13 people and left more than 6,000 people ill.

Nishida met Takahashi in October at the Tokyo detention centre. Takahashi's appearance has not changed since the time of his arrest, the professor said.

Citing the need to maintain confidentiality, Nishida declined to reveal the details of his exchanges with Takahashi. But he pointed to a cult practice as possibly still exerting a strong influence on Takahashi.

Members were urged to intensely concentrate on AUM founder Shoko Asahara, 59, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, and not to communicate with others in order to overcome difficulties that could undermine their belief in the cult. Asahara is now on death row for masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack and other heinous crimes.

Nishida has also met many other former cult members including death row inmate Yoshihiro Inoue, 44, and Makoto Hirata, 49, who was sentenced by the Tokyo District Court to nine years in prison for his involvement in three crimes in 1995. Hirata turned himself in to Tokyo police in 2011 after nearly 17 years on the run. Nishida's assessments of some of the former AUM members were admitted as evidence.

Shortly before his arrest, Takahashi had several pictures of Asahara and audio tapes of the cult founder's preaching stashed in a bag.