Chapter 9: Trial (part 2)
I sat on a seat near Yuri on a defender bench. Michael exclaimed:
- "Today we are meeting to deliver the trial of Yuri, who is accused of murder of Dasuki. First we will start with opening statements from both sides. Then we will be presented with all evidence for and against. At the end the jury will vote to convict or acquit the defendant. I will now allow prosecution to make the opening statement"
Bernard rose from his chair
- "Your honor. In today's trial I will show that this night the accused, Yuri, had murdered in cold blood Dasuki. He came to our school as a guest, and we welcomed him with a meal. His life cannot be returned, but in his name I am calling for the highest penalty for the accused – expulsion from our community. She cannot remain here, for our own safety"
I felt angry. Why was he saying all those unfair things about her?
- "Thank you, prosecution. Now I will allow the defense to make an opening statement"
I immediately rose from my seat
- "Your honor, I want to defend the name of the accused here, Yuri. In this trial I will show everyone that tonight she was acting in legal self-defense in the heat of the moment. I will demand an acquittal for she did nothing wrong"
- "Thank you, defense. I will now call the accused to stand and tell us all about what happened this night"
Yuri rose from her chair and anxiously approached the witness stand.
- "Please tell us the truth and only the truth. Remember that you have a right to remain silent and to speak with your defense"
- "Yes-ss, your honor. So, that night I woke up at night and decided to go on a walk"
- "Question" asked Bernard "Did you carry with yourself a knife when you went on the walk?"
- "Yes" responded Yuri.
- "Why? Were you planning on committing a murder?"
- "I… refuse to answer this question"
- "Why are you refusing to answer this question? So you are admitting that you took a knife with you without any good reason?"
- "Objection" I shouted "Yuri has a right not to answer this question!"
- "Objection sustained" said Michael "Please don't question defendant right to remain silent, prosecution"
- "Yes, your honor"
- "Please continue, Yuri"
- "So when I approached a supply room I heard weird sounds from the inside. When I looked I saw Dasuki. He was trying to steal our things and was grabbing things into his backpack"
- "So you are accusing Dasuki of theft, do i understand it correctly, Yuri" asked Bernard
- "I'm telling what I saw with my own eyes"
- "Please tell us, when you approached Dasuki, were you holding your knife in your hand. Did you cause him to be scared?"
- "No, I had a knife up my sleeve, so it wouldn't be visible right away"
- "What a weird way to carry a knife. If I wanted to defend myself I would put it in my pants or somewhere easy to reach. Hiding your weapon sounds like you're plotting to assault someone… Anyway, please continue"
- "He noticed me and shouted. I asked what he was doing here and why he was stealing our things. He said that's none of my business and threatened to take Natsuki with him. When I refused to leave he lunged at me and acting on instinct I took out my knife. He threw himself at me and a knife pierced his stomach. This is all that happened. I did not murder him, I did not want to kill him"
- "Why did you not withdraw when you had a chance to? And instead decided to risk his and your life?"
- "He was threatening to take Natsuki with him, I couldn't let that happen!"
- "Dasuki was Natsuki's parent and legal guardian. He had a right to take herself with him. You were preventing a parent from reuniting with his child"
- "What about our property? He was trying to rob us?"
- "Do you believe that property is more important than human life? We could rebuild all that, but his life cannot be recovered"
I jumped outraged:
- "Why are you saying all of that? Does law matter to you more than all of us here?"
Michael ringed his bell:
- "Defense, please do not interrupt others. Remember that a prosecutor's job is to fight for the highest penalty for the accused and try to prove her guilt. If you have any objections please raise them formally"
- "I am sorry, your honor"
- "Prosecution, do you have any further questions?"
- "No, your honor"
- "Defendant, do you want to say anything more?"
- "I want to consult with defense right now, your honor"
- "I will allow it. You can go to defense' bench"
Yuri stepped down and sat next to me. She whispered to me:
- "This doesn't look good to me. I am afraid they aren't believing me"
- "Don't worry Yuri, we can still win"
Bernard spoke up suddenly:
- "Your honor, I want to call another witness"
- "Granted, who will it be?"
- "Xavier, please step up"
Xavier left his bailiff position and came to the witness stand.
- "Witness, please explain your relation to the case"
- "Yes, your honor. I was among the group of people who discovered Yuri during her crime. I was woken up by her screaming. When I entered the door I saw her, covered in blood, while Dasuki was laying with a knife in his stomach"
This was my chance:
- "Witness, please can you describe to us what Yuri looked like when you discovered her?"
- "She looked very scared, visibly shivering"
- "Did she looked like someone who just committed cold-blooded murder"
- "Objection your honor. Of course someone who killed someone for the first time is gonna look scared. What a nonsensical question" said Bernard
- "Objection sustained. Please do not ask such vague questions, defense"
- "Yes, your honor. Witness, did murder happen recently when you entered the room"
- "His blood was still flowing, so I assume it must have happened moments ago.
- "Thanks. Did you notice any signs of theft in the room?"
- "I think I saw the water purifier was moved, and a few things disappeared, but I can't be sure…"
- "Thank you. I don't have any more questions"
- "I also don't have any questions"
- "Witness, you can return to your bailiff position"
When Xavier left his position, I said:
- "I am asking for examination of evidence"
- "What evidence do you want to bring, defense?"
- "Backpack of the victim"
- "I will allow it. Bailiff please bring first piece of evidence"
- "Yes, your honor"
Xavier brought a backpack and placed it on a central table. He opened it and inside was a can of beer, a crowbar, canned food, an electrical battery, a lighter, and a few other things. A few of them were clearly stolen from us.
- "I think this clearly shows that suspect was in the process of committing a theft when he was caught red-handed by Yuri"
- "How can you be sure that Yuri didn;t put it in to make her case more believable?" asked Bernard
- "How could she have time for this, when clearly according to previous witness testimony incident happened a few moments ago"
- "Defense has a point. Prosecution, are you doubting witness testimony?"
- "No, your honor. But the fact that he was a thief doesn't mean he deserved to be killed. She could have retreated and call us"
- "And allow him to run away?"
- "Irrelevant question to the discussion. I have a question. How was Yuri able to put a knife up her sleeve without it falling out?"
- "Are you implying anything?" I asked
- "if she was brandishing a knife in her hand then Dasuki could feel reasonably threatened whens he approached him. It would make her clearly an aggressor"
- "I will demonstrate it!" said Yuri
- "I will allow it. Bailiff, please bring a knife for the defendant"
- "Are you sure it is safe your honor"
- "You will control her any time in case she attacks anyone. I am sure you will be able"
- "Yes your honor"
Xavier handed a knife to Yuri and she put it up her sleeve. She made a few steps, it was clearly not visible for anyone unaware of its presence. She returned to her seat and handed over the knife.
- "I think it clearly shows that the defendant was able to walk with a knife that way, not threatening the victim" I said
- "Even if it was possible, we still don't know she was taking it with her in the first place!"
- "Yuri already said she doesn't want to answer that question, please respect that, prosecution"
Suddenly Natsuki rose up and said:
- "Your honor I want to testify as a witness?"
- "Natsuki?" Yuri looked surprised
- "I will allow it. Witness, please take your stand"
- "Yes, your honor. That night, I also woke up in the middle of the night. I saw Yuri walking in the corridor. She wasn't holding a knife in any of her hands"
- "Do you know where she was walking that night?" asked Bernard
- "No, I don't know what"
- "I think this testimony resolves the question whether Yuri was brandishing a knife this time. Prosecution, do you have any questions"
- "No, your honor"
- "I also want to address one question. Yuri didn't want to let him leave when he said he is going to take me with him, because night earlier I told her I am afraid he is going to take me and I didn't want to go"
- "Natsuki, you don't have to tell them…"
- "No Yuri, I want this to be known. My father, Dasuki, has abused me for years. He never respected my freedom. I was happy when I never had to meet with him at the beginning. When he returned I was scared. I asked Yuri not to tell anyone, but now I want to say that she was simply defending me"
A wave of shock went through the court. Natsuki's dad was abusing her? I was suspecting something but didn't know it was that bad. Others also looked confused.
- "Thank you, for telling us all of this, witness. I am sure it was difficult for you. Do any of the sides have any questions?"
- "Yes, your honor. Considering this testimony could we assume that Yuri heard about what Dasuki was doing and decided to kill him?" asked Bernard
Arghh, are all prosecutors that heartless? I wanted to slap him.
- "No, I wasn't planning on doing that!" said Yuri "I was just scared, I would never plan killing someone"
- "Then why did you go there with a knife in the first place?"
- "Prosecution, I remind you about nor questioning the defendant right to not answer some questions"
- "This is enough. I want to testify!"
I grabbed Yuri and whispered:
- "Are you sure about this? You told me you don't want them to know"
- "It's fine. Natsuki's confession gave me strength to reveal my problems"
- "Defendant, please come at witness stand"
- "Yes, your honor. I want to explain why I went with a knife that night. The truth is I am cutting myself regularly"
She rolled up her sleeve and showed everyone her scars.
- "I wanted to cut myself that night. That's why I went there. I didn't want to hurt anyone else."
Bernard looked visibly disturbed looking at her.
- "Thank you witness. We definitely had a lot of confessions today. It's sad that we have to reveal it on such an occasion. Does defense or prosecution have any further questions?"
- "No, your honor" I said.
- "No, your honor" said Bernard.
- "In this case I will call the jury to leave the room and discuss the case. When you reach the conclusion please return to us and return your verdict"
- "Yes, your honor!" said Linda and left the room with Sayori and Arthur.
Everyone in the room felt the heavy atmosphere around, from the case we were discussing and all the shocking revelations today.
Yuri looked at me:
- "What is gonna happen? Am I gonna leave this place? I am afraid"
- "Don't worry Yuri, I am sure this is all gonna end well"
- "I want to believe you…"
After a few minutes Linda, Arthur and Sayori returned to the room. I was very stressed. Everything depended on that moment.
- "Jury, please hand your decision"
- "Yes, your honor" said Sayori as she gave him a piece of paper.
- "The jury has made the decision on the trial of Yuri on the accusation of murder of Dasuki. I will read the decision out loud" he said as he unrolled the paper.
- "The decision is: 3x not guilty. The defendant is acquitted!"
Yuri looked at me without believing. I hugged her:
- "We did it, Yuri! You are innocent!"
She started loudly crying at my shoulder.
- "Thank you all for participating in the trial. The court is now adjourned" said Michael leaving the table.
Natsuki and Sayori soon joined us in the hug.
- "I never doubted that you were innocent during the entire trial," said Sayori.
- "Thank you Sayori, that means a lot to me"
Bernard came to us looking sideways:
- "So Yuri, sorry if I sounded biased against you, but this was my job as a prosecutor to be against you. I understand that you wanted defend yourself"
- "You sounded like major asshole during entire trial, you know" I said looking at him
- "Don't worry, I understand it" said Yuri "You have to hold everyone accountable and seek the truth"
- "Also know that, I don't hold against you that you are cutting yourself. And I will not allow anyone to make fun of you because of that"
- "Ohh thanks"
- "Now, Natsuki. Why didn't you tell anyone that he was using violence against you? I would have kicked him out If I knew"
- "I didn't want to bother you with my problems. And I feared you wouldn't believe me"
- "Nonsense, we all need to be honest with each other. We are stuck in this besieged school, and any secret will only fuel distrust. We can only survive together trusting each other"
- "You are right, thanks. I don't want to sound heartless or anything, but I am glad he is gone"
After the trial had concluded we needed to decide what to do with Dasuki's body. Ultimately we decided to burn his body in a furnace. While Xavier threw the body and locked it inside, no one spoke anything. After everything we threw the ashes at the wind outside. We all felt the heavy impact of the event and reached unspoken decision to never talk about it again.