Suspect detained in Japanese tourist’s murder sent to court

NEVŞEHİR

A suspect detained in connection to an attack on two female Japanese tourists in Cappadocia that left one dead was sent to court Sept.11 after being identified by the survivor as the alleged assailant.

M.V.D, 27, detained on Sept. 10 in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir’s Ürgüp district, was brought to court under tight security measures, Anadolu Agency reported.

Mai Kurihara and Hoshie Teramatsu were attacked while walking in the Zemi Valley during a trip to Nevşehir’s Göreme village. Kurihara died at the scene.

The detained suspect’s mother, however, reportedly told Japanese television channels that her son is innocent. However, Nevşehir Gov. Mehmet Ceylan said Sept. 10 that Teramatsu recognized the suspect.

Meanwhile, Teramatsu’s family arrived in the province on Sept. 11 and visited her in hospital, Doğan News Agency reported. The family demanded to transport her to Japan as soon as the doctors approve her discharge from hospital.

On Sept. 9, a group of tourists discovered Kurihara’s dead body, along with Teramatsu, and immediately called local gendarmerie and medical teams. Teramatsu was transferred to the Nevşehir Public Hospital, where she underwent an operation. The operation was successful and Teramatsu’s situation is now stable, having been restored to consciousness.

Officials from the Japanese Embassy to Ankara said the body of Kurihara had been brought to Ankara for an autopsy. The officials also said they were holding meetings with authorities concerning the repatriation of the dead woman’s body to Japan.

The detained suspect, M.V.D, had criminal records for sexual abuse and the use of drugs, according to daily Hürriyet.