Murdered Brit's Parents Seek Justice In Japan

Lindsay Hawker's parents have said they want justice for their murdered daughter as they flew to Japan for the trial of her alleged killer.

The British teacher, 22, was found dead in a sand-filled bathtub on the balcony of Tatsuya Ichihashi's apartment in Chiba, east of the capital Tokyo, in March 2007.

The accused, who was one of her students at an English language school, was arrested waiting for a ferry in Osaka in November 2009.

He has been in custody ever since, and last January he promised to donate the proceeds of a book, in which he confessed to the killing, to Ms Hawker 's family.

It detailed how he spent two-and-a-half years on the run following the murder and how he had plastic surgery to change his appearance.

While at large, Ichihashi , 32, said he travelled through 23 prefectures (states) across Japan.

And he became obsessed with the cosmetic surgery due to fears of his arrest - even attempting procedures on himself with scissors.

Bill and Julia Hawker, who were joined at Heathrow Airport by daughters Lisa, 29, and Louise, 24, will both give evidence during the trial and the verdict is due on July 21.

Under the Japanese legal system, the couple will also have the chance to question Ichihashi themselves.

Mr Hawker said: "We are travelling to Tokyo today for the trial of Ichihashi and we are hoping to get justice for our daughter. That has always been our aim.

"I can't say anything else on that today. But we are a very strong family and we're going to see this through to the end. All we want is justice for Lindsay."

Their trip to Japan is the first time the family has visited the country together since 2009, when they marked the second anniversary of the death of their daughter, a Leeds University graduate.

During the trial, Mr and Mrs Hawker, of Brandon, near Coventry, Warwickshire, will be classed as "victim participants".

And they will be able, at the discretion of the court, to question the defendant and give their opinion on sentencing. They will also be able, for example, to ask to examine the prosecution evidence.

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/murdered-brits-parents-seek-justice-japan-120858277.html

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