Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya confirmed that the 43-year-old Japanese woman who was recently found dead in Budapest had filed a domestic violence complaint against her ex-husband to the Japanese embassy in Hungary two and a half years ago. According to Iwaya, the embassy encouraged her to consult with the police. She followed this advice, but the police refused to act. Iwaya described the death of the woman as “extremely painful,” but said that the embassy “provided the necessary support.”
The woman, whose name hasn’t been disclosed, went back to the embassy to inquire about the issuance of passports for her children in 2024, as she wanted to return to Japan. She was told it wasn’t possible without the written consent of their father. A year earlier, she showed the police a letter from her ex, stating that she would “die in agony,” yet they refused to do anything about it. “She was worried that the police wouldn’t act unless she was covered in blood,” an acquaintance told TBS.
Irish National Arrested on Suspicion of Killing Ex-Wife
The woman’s body was discovered on January 29 after a fire broke out at her apartment in central Budapest. She resided there with her two children, who were at school at the time. Her ex-husband, a 43-year-old Irish national, was at the scene and called the police. Later in the day, an autopsy was conducted. It was concluded that there was no evidence of foul play. Early reports suggested the fire was caused by the victim smoking in her bed.
A friend, however, pointed out that the women didn’t smoke. After a woman’s rights organization called for a “thorough investigation,” the police reopened the case. A second autopsy on the woman’s body revealed signs of abuse. “She was terrified of her ex-husband, who had abused her for a long time and wanted to return to her native country with her children, which the father did not consent to, even though he did not live in Hungary,” said the Patent Association in a statement on Saturday.
On Monday, the counter-terrorism force detained her ex-husband. They discovered that he had returned to the apartment in changed clothes after leaving with his children in the morning. He also wore a balaclava to conceal his face. They believe he killed his ex-wife before heading back to the scene to call the authorities. The suspect, who met his ex-wife in the US around 25 years ago, denies murdering her. He left Hungary for the Netherlands in 2020 after their relationship deteriorated. They divorced in 2023.
Disciplinary Action Taken Against Several Hungarian Officers
On Tuesday, The Rendőrség — the national civil law enforcement agency of Hungary — issued an apology via its website, stating that the police’s response to the woman’s complaints was inadequate. Disciplinary action has been taken against five officers, including a department head, who has been fired, and a deputy department head, who has been placed in another post. A police officer who responded to Facebook comments on the issue was also disciplined and removed from his position. Budapest’s Chief of Police has ordered an increase in the number of police officers obliged to undergo sensitivity training on domestic violence.
