An appeals court on Wednesday upheld an acquittal of three former executives of
The
The ruling cleared the defendants of professional negligence resulting in deaths and injuries.
"There was no foreseeability that tsunamis higher than 10-meters would strike," Presiding Judge
The trial focused on whether the former executives should have foreseen the massive tsunami and prevented the accident, given that a TEPCO unit had estimated in 2008 that tsunami waves of up to 15.7 meters could strike the Fukushima plant based on the government's earlier long-term evaluation of quake risks released in 2002.
The high court ruling admitted that the government estimate "carried weight that could not be overlooked." But it pointed out that some experts disputed its reliability.
It is utterly unacceptable, court-appointed lawyers acting as prosecutors said during a press conference in the capital, adding that they may consider appealing the decision.
The verdict was met with anger and disbelief from a crowd of people, including those affected by the disaster, who had been waiting outside the courthouse for the ruling.
"A not guilty decision is unthinkable. If we don't clarify who is responsible, it's likely to affect the future," said
The 59-year-old said she had observed the trial and was under the impression that the executives had been aware of the potential danger of a nuclear accident.
The three former TEPCO executives were indicted in 2016 for allegedly failing to implement tsunami countermeasures, resulting in the deaths of 44 people -- including patients at a hospital in Fukushima Prefecture -- after they were forced to endure long-term evacuations.
Prosecutors had decided not to pursue criminal charges against the three, but that decision was ultimately superseded by a committee for the inquest of prosecution made up of members of the general public who reviewed the case and called for indictments.
The court-appointed lawyers acting as prosecutors demanded each of the three men be given a five-year prison sentence, while the defendants denied any wrongdoing.
In
Although prosecutors alleged the defendants failed to implement the construction of a seawall and flood prevention work to core facilities, the lower court ruled that a temporary shutdown was the only guaranteed way to avoid an accident.
There have also been civil cases focusing on whether a tsunami could have been anticipated, with courts coming to different decisions.
In June last year, the
Meanwhile, in a shareholder lawsuit, the
In appeal trials, the high court was required to make a decision based on similar testimony and evidence submitted to the lower court.
On
The Nos. 1 to 3 reactors subsequently suffered core meltdowns, while hydrogen explosions damaged the building housing the Nos. 1, 3 and 4 units.
==Kyodo
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