Japan is committed to investigating the murder of Vietnamese girl Le Thi Nhat Linh in Chiba prefecture and punishing the culprit in line with the law, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on April 14.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida

He extended deep condolences to the family of the 9-year-old girl.

At a working session with Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Fumio Kishida informed his guest that Japanese police arrested a suspect in the murder, a 46-year-old man named Shibuya Yasumasa, on the morning of April 14.   

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan was also informed of the arrest by the local police on April 14, and promptly notified Linh’s parents, who are currently in Vietnam.

The embassy will keep watch on the case’s developments and assist Linh’s family to travel to Japan for upcoming procedures.

It will work closely with Japanese agencies to soon bring the culprit to justice.

A representative from the embassy said after the tragedy, many Japanese have sent letters to express their condolences and their hope that the case will not affect Vietnam-Japan relations.

According to police of Japan’s Chiba prefecture, Shibuya Yasumasa, 46, is the girl’s neighbour and his DNA matched samples police collected on the girl’s belongings. However, he still keeps silence on the case. 

Linh, who was in her third year at Matsudo elementary school in Chiba prefecture, went missing on the morning of March 24. 

Her body was found on March 26 morning at a site near a drainage ditch which is about 10-12km from the school.

Japanese ambassador conveys apology to murdered girl’s family

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio on April 14 visited the family of Le Thi Nhat Linh, a nine-year-old girl murdered in Japan’s Matsudo city, Chiba prefecture in late March, to convey apology and sympathy over Linh’s death.

Yasumasa Shibuya, who allegedly killed Linh, was arrested on April 14 (Source: Asahi Shinbum)

At the meeting at Linh’s Vietnamese home in Tan Dan commune, Khoai Chau district in the northern province of Hung Yen, the Japanese diplomat informed Le Anh Hao, Linh’s father, that the police of Japan arrested a man who allegedly killed Linh.

He added that the Japanese side is working to clarify the case and will handle the culprit stringently in accordance with the law.

Le Anh Hao said that on the early morning of April 14, he received a phone call from Japanese police reporting that they arrested Yasumasa Shibuya, head of the parents’ association at Linh’s school.  Shibuya is also a street volunteer to watch pupils along their walking road to school.

According to Japanese police, Yasumasa Shibuya, 46, is engaging in property business and his DNA matched a sample police collected at the crime scene of Linh.

Hao said that he will fly to Japan on April 16 to coordinate with the Japanese police during the investigation of his daughter’s case.

On March 24 this year, Linh, a third-year grader in the elementary school in Matsudo, went missing after she left home in Matsudo to go to school as usual.

Two days later, she was found dead without clothes at a site near a drainage ditch which is about 10-12km from the school.

The police believed Linh was kidnapped right after leaving home at 8 am on March 24. 

Besides an injury on her head and garrote marks on her necks, Linh also had an injury on her wrist and scratches on her body.

VNA