Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

Last Updated: Monday, 24 March 2008, 16:25 GMT


Private grief, public quest
By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo





The appeal has thrust the family's private grief into the public eye
The family of murdered Lindsay Hawker have braved the spotlight to make an emotional appeal for information to the Japanese public.


A steady drizzle greeted the Hawker family as their plane taxied towards the gate at Tokyo's Narita airport.

Bill Hawker and his wife Julia had brought their two daughters, Louise and Lisa, to Japan this time, a year after they first learned that Lindsay was missing.

Then, the discovery of the body of the 22-year-old teacher last March - who had been buried in a bathtub - thrust this family into the spotlight just as they started to grieve.

It was uncomfortable. The Hawkers are very private.

It was obvious how difficult they found it when they were subjected to the scrutiny of the media, not just from Britain, but from a country half a world away from their life in Brandon near Coventry.

JUSTICENEEDED

[yawarakaijin]

In all honesty it's really hard to cut the Japanese police any slack on this. Either through lack of determination or sheer incompetence I just don't think they are going to find this man.

I don't watch too much Japanese television but in regards to violent crimes seems like 95% of the time the culprit turns himself in rather than be caught by police.

The only image I have in my mind is of perhaps one or two serious investigators constantly being hampered by the bureaucracy and ineptitude that often personifies government here.

In regards to his family's remark about their son's actions being "regretable" I think that is merely cultural. Some word carry different weight in different languages. Ever see the look on some of you asian students face when you call them "crazy"?

[little mixed girl]

the police had the guy there and they basically let him go.

something like 4 or 5 officers went to the guy's apartment, knocked on the door. and he answered and ran.
on the news they said "he used to play basketball, so he's a pretty fast runner".

from what i know, japanese police like to have a whole bunch of evidence to "prove" that the person is guilty.

(or they find someone, pull them into the station and keep them there until they sign a confession, which has also been in the news lately)

[Adventurer]

[little mixed girl]

they went to his house because her friends said that he was suspicious.

i think they either found her dead at her place, and they went to talk to him on a tip.
or they went to talk to him on a tip, and found her dead at his place.

either way, it's pretty obvious that he did it.
they have his pic on wanted posters. and they said on the news last month that he might be wearing a wig and passing himself off as a girl.

i don't doubt that they want to get him. a japanese guy killing a white foreigner doesn't look good. especially when it spins off "reports" of perverted japanese men, and things like "japan isn't safe".