やまゆり園、慰霊碑に７人の名　事件５年を前に追悼式―相模原殺傷

　相模原市緑区の障害者施設「津久井やまゆり園」で入所者ら４５人が殺傷された事件から５年となるのを前に、神奈川県などは２０日、同園で犠牲者の追悼式を行った。式典を前に、園内に新たに建てられたモニュメント（慰霊碑）が公開された。亡くなった１９人のうち、裁判で母親が名前を明かした美帆さん＝当時（１９）＝を含む７人の名前が刻まれた。裁判では、美帆さん以外の１８人は匿名で審理が行われていた。
　式典は園内の体育館で行われ、遺族や園関係者のほか、黒岩祐治知事ら約４０人が参列。犠牲者に参列者全員で黙とうをささげた。昨年は新型コロナウイルスの影響で中止され、開催は２年ぶり。例年は市内のホールで行われており、園内での実施は初めて。
　黒岩知事は「亡くなった方々や、最愛の家族を失われた無念の気持ちを思うと、今もなお強い憤りと深い悲しみを禁じ得ない」と述べた。続いて、園の家族会「みどり会」の大月和真会長は「あの日の凄惨（せいさん）な光景や途方もない混乱、喧噪（けんそう）が脳裏を離れることがない。残酷さに対する憤りは消し去ることはできない」と語った。その後、参列者がモニュメントで献花を行った。
　事件は２０１６年７月２６日に発生。元職員だった植松聖死刑囚（３１）が、同園に侵入し入所者１９人を殺害し、職員を含む２６人に重軽傷を負わせた。県は新園舎を再建し、今月４日に開所式を実施。園は８月１日から新たに入所者を迎え入れる。（2021/07/20-12:08）

A ceremony was held on Tuesday to pray for the 19 people killed in the 2016 knifing rampage at a care home for disabled people in the city of Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.
   Ahead of the ceremony, held by organizations including the Kanagawa prefectural government six days before the fifth anniversary of the incident, a new monument set up at the care home, Tsukui Yamayuri-en, was unveiled.
   The monument is engraved with the names of seven of the victims, including Miho, 19, whose name was disclosed by her mother during the trial over the massacre. The other 18 victims were not named in the trial, which was closed last year with a death sentence for the accused, Satoshi Uematsu, 31, finalized.
   The memorial ceremony, held at a gym at the care home, was attended by some 40 people, including bereaved families, people related to the care home and Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa. Participants offered silent players to the victims. The annual ceremony, which had been held at a hall in the city, took place at the care home for the first time. Last year's ceremony was canceled due to the novel coronavirus epidemic.
   "I still can't help feeling strong resentment and deep sorrow when I think about the victims and bereaved relatives' deep regret over losing their loved ones," Kuroiwa said. "The day's ghastly scenes and extreme chaos remain lodged in my brain," Kazuma Otsuki, who heads an association of families of Tsukui Yamayuri-en residents, said. "I can't erase my indignation at the cruel action."