crime

Turk jailed for life for murder of Japanese tourist

27 Comments

A 23-year-old Turkish man was jailed for life on Tuesday for torturing and murdering a Japanese woman in Cappadocia, a spectacular tourist site in central Turkey.

Mai Kurihara, 22, was killed and her traveling companion was badly injured in the brutal stabbing attack in September.

The court in the city of Nevsehir found the man identified only as F.U. guilty of torture and intentional killing, Turkish media reported.

The defendant had denied the accusations against him at a final court hearing, although he had reportedly previously confessed to the attack.

He was said to have told police that the two women hit his car with their bicycles and that he then attacked them with a knife.

He was also separately sentenced to 93 years and nine months in jail on charges of sexual assault and deprivation of liberty.

Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its unique lunar landscape, cone-shaped volcanic rock formations, rock-carved underground cities and early Christian churches.

© (c) 2013 AFP

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27 Comments
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SpeaklikeGandhiDEC. 13, 2013 - 03:34AM JST oldman_13Dec. 11, 2013 - 07:50AM JST "Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad." Yes, Oldman is correct. Many peole who never have lived outside of Japan don't understand that. In fact, many parts of the world are not safe. Those in Japan are living in a disneyland. It is like three year old child traveling alone in Tokyo.

Why this myth of Japan as being so safe compared to anywhere else, it isn't! There are much safer countries where you are much less likely to be mugged, raped, stalked or groped on a train. Singapore, Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland the list goes on. I blame the media.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

oldman_13Dec. 11, 2013 - 07:50AM JST "Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad." Yes, Oldman is correct. Many peole who never have lived outside of Japan don't understand that. In fact, many parts of the world are not safe. Those in Japan are living in a disneyland. It is like three year old child traveling alone in Tokyo.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Turkey is a Dangerous country where there are Violent thugs and murderers around every corner. Japanese should know it. Most of the Terrorists sent to Syria are being sent through Turkey with the Blessing of Turkey. In Syria they are Butchering Syrians including Christians Via Ethnic Cleansing,Raping,Maiming and so on. When these Terrorists return do they become Angels. NO! Tourists are well advised to Travel to safer countries and what happened to these 2 Japanese women is atrocious and shocking and the Blame should be placed on the Turkish Government as they know these Thugs are on the street and who they are. For these few we hear about the Turkish Police and Government will not be talking about other Victims. In this case they had to as the Japanese Government were told about it from the families of the women. Japanese have been robbed on the streets many times also. - See more at: http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/turk-jailed-for-life-for-murder-of-japanese-tourist#sthash.LGW8RucK.dpuf

I'm half Turkish. My parents live in Turkey. I go to Turkey almost every year. I have been to Turkey more than ten times.

Your post is wildly incorrect.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@gsgsgs

Turkey is a Dangerous country where there are Violent thugs and murderers around every corner. Japanese should know it.

This is a hyperbolic and sensationalist thing to say about any country. There are thugs and murders in Japan as well, less perhaps but people who do bad things to others are not exclusive to any country or culture.

Japanese have been robbed on the streets many times also.

Why recognise Japanese victims to crime only? What about other nationalities who are victims of crime in Turkey, what about Turkish victims of crime? Are they equally worthy of our recognition and compassion?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

sangetsu03: your conception of justice is really scary.

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Turkey is a Dangerous country where there are Violent thugs and murderers around every corner. Japanese should know it. Most of the Terrorists sent to Syria are being sent through Turkey with the Blessing of Turkey. In Syria they are Butchering Syrians including Christians Via Ethnic Cleansing,Raping,Maiming and so on. When these Terrorists return do they become Angels. NO! Tourists are well advised to Travel to safer countries and what happened to these 2 Japanese women is atrocious and shocking and the Blame should be placed on the Turkish Government as they know these Thugs are on the street and who they are. For these few we hear about the Turkish Police and Government will not be talking about other Victims. In this case they had to as the Japanese Government were told about it from the families of the women. Japanese have been robbed on the streets many times also.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

He was said to have told police that the two women hit his car with their bicycles and that he then attacked them with a knife.

Lame excuse! Even if true, never harm anyone because your crappy, valueless, material property was damaged!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The death penalty is the easy way out, not to mention more expensive, as the previous comment mentioned.

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@LFRAgain

How does providing food, housing, and medical care for the duration if one's life for a cruel and vicious murderer help society? I'm not trying to be snarky. I'm genuinely asking. Anti-death penalty advocates have yet to convince me of the inherent value to society in keeping murderers of this caliber alive.

If spending money is your greatest concern when judging when whether someone should live or die then rest assured the majority of research shows the death penalty, with it's long drawn out legal processes and practices is more expensive than just putting someone in a low-cost facility for life.

http://tinyurl.com/ngfbbqe

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Jackson LoDec. 11, 2013 - 04:43PM JST Who exactly are you talking to? Death penalty support in Japan is nearly universal, and a rape murder would be a typical case for this kind of punishment. It has nothing to do with revenge, but is a permanent solution that makes away with an untreatable member of society.

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samymutairDEC. 11, 2013 - 02:25PM JST And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life, O you [people] of understanding, that you may become righteous. (Quran, 2:179)

I have no idea why you had to bring religion into it as this wasn't an article about religion...

This World is so depraved. How can someone attack, and kill, another person for a simple reason such as they hit that persons car with their bikes? That's if they even did that.

Wish we had these kind of sentences over here in the UK.

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Bear27840 & sangetsu03: Again and again, justice does not equal revenge!

In the case of capital murder, there cannot really be justice, can there? And when there can't be justice, the only other thing we can extract is revenge.

Let's say this was your daughter who had been murdered and sexually abused, and died in terror, begging for her life, what then?

What were the last thoughts and sensations the victim experienced? Think about it for a moment. How can you possibly suggest that there can be a just punishment for intentionally causing such a death, and being sexually gratified by it? When one gives up one's basic humanity, should one still be subject to human justice? Absolutely not.

All justice is based on retribution, and yes, revenge. Were it not so, friends and relatives would not be given the opportunity to speak before the criminal is sentenced. People who commit crimes are supposed to suffer the consequences, the greater the crime, the greater the suffering.

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...cool, another long-winded lecture from someone who's not from Japan or understand the cultures of both countries.

The mutual appreciation between Turkey and Japan is evident, from the immediate condemnation of the incident and condolences from the locals--who are great people. I go there almost once a month, from the capital, everybody in the country are really respectful and peaceful.

The thing is, people need to also not immediately impose their own* morals and standards and assume they'll conform to it.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

How does it make our societies better?

How does providing food, housing, and medical care for the duration if one's life for a cruel and vicious murderer help society? I'm not trying to be snarky. I'm genuinely asking. Anti-death penalty advocates have yet to convince me of the inherent value to society in keeping murderers of this caliber alive.

I don't see or believe in the death penalty as a tool for exacting vengeance. Revenge only sooths wounds for so long. But I also don't see why society must take upon itself the tremendous financial burden of supporting another member of society that has actively and so spectacularly chosen to violate in the worst possible ways the implied contract he or she holds with fellow human beings by murdering someone in cold blood.

The "we're better than that" argument simply isn't enough. Knowing that these folks are siphoning off precious public resources for three, four, five, or even six decades most certainly does not make me sleep better at night when I know perfectly well the money wasted on an irredeemable murderer could go towards things like education, health care, and social reform.

Certainly, there is the argument that society may have failed this young man at some point, turning him into the monster he is. Therefore, society bears the responsibility and burden of his incarceration due to some sort of convoluted complicity in his decision to stab to death a young woman.

But at the end of the day, the profound taboo that murder represents is no secret to anyone, particularly this young man. Or else he wouldn't have run and hid after stabbing and robbing these poor women. He made the final determination to kill. Not society. Not living in poverty. Not some abusive relative. He did.

And he therefore forfeited his place in society with that decision.

Okay, so if not execution, then what? Exile? Yes, I'd settle for that as a viable alternative too. Plant him and others like him on a deserted island owned and administered by no one. He would be allowed to live out the remainder of his natural life, but he would do so by the social rules of his creation, with whatever means or tools he could fashion for himself. After all, he eschewed the social rules and the benefits they convey that the rest of us seem to have little trouble adhering to. Leave him and those like him quite literally to their own devices far away from the rest of us.

Too cruel? Why?

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@oldman_13 ... Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad...

"Alert" is a bit vague and short term. "Aware" as in thinking ahead sounds better. I have no idea about the situation they were in, but I think an in depth analysis might yield useful information for future travelers to the area. Neighborhood? Choice of bicycle as transportation? Clothing? Tour guide would be useful? Maybe none of those things; maybe they were just unlucky like the girl stabbed while walking down a street in Kichijoji.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life, O you [people] of understanding, that you may become righteous. (Quran, 2:179)

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

As I was reading this, I was wondering how long it would take before the death penalty mongers would show up. Only took 5 posts...

sangetsu,

What is the actual benefit of the death penalty according to you. How does it make our societies better? Or do you consider punishments to only serve the purpose of revenge?

0 ( +5 / -6 )

Bear27840 & sangetsu03: Again and again, justice does not equal revenge!

0 ( +4 / -5 )

Having no freedom to go anywhere or do anything and to stay in one room for the rest of your life is not punishment enough?!

The crime was heinous and barbaric, the punishment should be the same.

Prisons in developing countries are not pleasant, but much different than prisons you or I might be familiar with. The convict's family members will be able to visit and bring food, if he is married, he might get a little "private time" with his wife. And if his family and friends are willing to pay the prison and/or guards some money, his stay might not be that bad, by third-world standards that is.

But the victim will never see her family or friends, will not be able to eat anything they might want to bring, and no amount of money will ease their suffering.

0 ( +4 / -3 )

Capital punisment ends up costing more in the long run.

-1 ( +4 / -6 )

@Bear

In cases as this the death penalty sould be used in stead of life in a prison. Three meals, a bed, medical services and a roof to sleep under is not a penalty but a burden on society that actually seems to help more than condem unless it is very hard labor 16 hours a day.

Having no freedom to go anywhere or do anything and to stay in one room for the rest of your life is not punishment enough?!

-3 ( +1 / -5 )

In cases as this the death penalty sould be used in stead of life in a prison. Three meals, a bed, medical services and a roof to sleep under is not a penalty but a burden on society that actually seems to help more than condem unless it is very hard labor 16 hours a day.

2 ( +7 / -4 )

Japanese juror's could learn from this, 93 years and nine months is a little more than what is sentenced here in Japan.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad.

What does that even mean? This was an act by a madman, clearly.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad.

How do you know these women were not being alert?

20 ( +20 / -0 )

Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad.

Everyone needs to be alert but no one deserves to have what happened happen to the poor women. Your comment can be so easily misconstrued.....

13 ( +17 / -4 )

Japanese women need to be alert while traveling abroad.

-9 ( +8 / -17 )

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