Furlong suspect to face full murder trial

The parents of an Irish student found dead in Tokyo have welcomed a Japanese court decision to proceed with full murder trial against the main suspect.

Dublin City University exchange student Nicola Furlong, aged 21, from Curracloe, Co Wexford, was found dead in an up-market hotel in central Tokyo early on May 24 after going to a concert by hip-hop star Nicki Minaj.

She was at the concert with a friend where they met two men and the four ended up in a hotel together.

It is believed she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Two Americans were arrested and questioned about her death.

A four-hour hearing in Tokyo yesterday determined that 19-year-old Richard Hinds, from Memphis, Tennessee, will face trial for her murder as an adult.

Police said Nicola appeared to have been strangled. The suspect appeared in Tokyo’s main Family Court for a preliminary hearing, which concluded that the trial would not continue under the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts and would instead be sent to the Tokyo District court for a criminal trial.

“We’re very happy, we’re very happy with everything that went on today and yesterday,” Furlong’s father Andrew said after leaving the hearing yesterday.

As the suspect is classed as a minor under Japanese law, his identity and details of proceedings had not been previously publicly released.

Japan maintains the death penalty for crimes including statutory homicide.

Police have still not released the results of toxicology reports to the media or Ms Furlong’s family.

The court date is likely to shed more light on their suspicions that the drinks of Ms Furlong and her friend, also from Wexford, were spiked at a bar in central Tokyo before the assaults.

The Furlongs, who fly home to Dublin today, have pledged to return to Tokyo.

Angela Furlong, Nicola’s mother said: “It was very daunting coming out but we’re glad we did.”

“We’re certainly coming back if it comes to trial,” said Mr Furlong.