HYOGO, Jul 30 (News On Japan) - Three men have admitted to charges related to the concealment of a woman’s body in a household freezer in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, in a case that began at the Otsu District Court on July 29th.
The primary defendant, Hidenori Nonaka, 63, was indicted for abandoning the body of his wife in a freezer at a house in Nagahama five years ago. Prosecutors also charged Koichiro Iwase, 72, a relative and resident of the house, and his son Tatsuhiko, 49, for assisting in the act.
All three defendants admitted to the charges in court, each stating, "No objection."
In its opening statement, the prosecution said that while the cause of death remains unknown, the woman had been subjected to physical abuse by Iwase and Tatsuhiko. To prevent the bruises on her body from being discovered, Nonaka proposed placing the body in a freezer, the prosecution alleged.
The three men reportedly placed the body in a plastic bag and hid it in the freezer.
The next hearing is scheduled for September 16th, when the trial is expected to conclude.
Source: YOMIURI
