Lê Anh Hào, Linh’s father and his lawyer at the trial of Yasumasa Shibuya yesterday. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Tuyến |
TOKYO – The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan announced its hope that the murder of a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl last year will be handled strictly and a proper sentence will be given to the murderer.
Nguyễn An Tiến, first secretary in charge of community issues at the embassy, made the statement on Monday. Tiến was also present at the trial of Yasumasa Shibuya, a 46-year-old Japanese national, which began on the same day.
Shibuya is accused of murdering Lê Thị Nhật Linh, a third grader living in Matsudo town.
During the trial, he continued to deny the accusation, saying that evidence provided by the procuracy office is counterfeit.
The trial is forecast to be prolonged with heated debate over whether the evidence is persuasive enough to convict him for the murder.
Lê Anh Hào, Linh’s father, said that the family’s greatest hope is to find out the truth. If found guilty, the perpetrator must receive the highest penalty.
Linh disappeared shortly after leaving her home on foot for her school on March 24, 2017. Her body was found two days later in Abiko, Chiba.
She is thought to have been choked to death, based on marks found on her neck. Shibuya was arrested on April 14, 2017 on suspicion of dumping Linh’s body.
The same day, Japanese police served a new arrest warrant, charging him with murder and abandonment of the victim’s body, after tests results showed that DNA taken from Shibuya matched samples found on the victim’s body.
Shibuya was head of the parents’ association at the elementary school in Matsudo the victim attended. He lives about 300 metres from the victim’s home. — VNS