Vietnam asks Japan to soon bring murder of Vietnamese girl to trial

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong has urged Japan’s law enforcement agencies to soon conclude investigation into the death of a ten-year-old Vietnamese girl named Le Thi Nhat Linh, and strengthen evidence to bring the suspect to trial.

Suspect of the case, Shibuya Yasumasa. (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
Suspect of the case, Shibuya Yasumasa. (Source: Asahi Shimbun)

At a meeting with Shigeki Takizaki, Director General of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department under Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on February 2, Ambassador Cuong said Linh’s family is collecting signatures at home and abroad to appeal to the Chiba prefecture court to hand down the highest penalty to the culprit.

In reply, Takizaki once again expressed his deep sympathy to Linh’s family and informed the ambassador that during a reception for Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane on January 30, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also asked the Japanese side to promptly bring the case to court.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry then had a working session with the Ministry of Justice on the issue. According to the Justice Ministry, Japan’s law enforcement agencies are urgently preparing procedures in order for the trial to take place soon in line with Japanese law.

The same day, Ambassador Cuong visited Linh’s family in Chiba Prefecture and affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy will continue to work to protect legitimate interests of the family.

Le Anh Hao, father of Le Thi Nhat Linh, carries a sign on a street in Japan calling for signatures to pressure the court into handing down the death penalty for the culprit in his daughter’s murder in this photo posted by his wife on Facebook.

Le Anh Hao, Linh’s father, expressed his hope for an early and fair trial to contribute to preventing similar crimes in the future.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the House of Councillors have also extended their deep sympathies publicly to Linh’s family over her death.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umeda visited Linh’s family at their hometown in the northern province of Hung Yen last year and offered his prayers to the ill-fated girl over her grave.