Le Anh Hao, Linh's father, holds a picture of the girl on his way to the trial held for Yasumasa Shibuya

Le Thi Nhat Linh, a third grader at MutsumiDaini Elementary School in Matsudo, Chiba prefecture, went missing on March 24,2017, and was found dead near a drainage ditch in the city of Abiko two dayslater. Yasumasa Shibuya, a 48-year-old former head of a parents group at thegirl’s school, was arrested on April 14 on suspicion of dumping Linh’s body.

The Chiba District Court convicted Shibuyaon grounds that DNA matching his was found on the nine-year-old girl’s body andDNA in blood found in his vehicle matched the girl’s. On July 6, 2018, the manwas sentenced to life imprisonment. 

However, prosecutors appealed the ruling, asLe Anh Hao, the girl’s father refuted the verdict. They said the Japanese tookadvantage of his position to deceive and murder Linh rather than protecting heras he was supposed to. According to them, the ruling did not match his ruthlessaction.

Shibuya continues to profess his innocence.

The next hearings are scheduled for November29 and January 31, 2020./. VNA