{"id":9500,"date":"2011-11-07T01:02:17","date_gmt":"2011-11-06T16:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=9500"},"modified":"2011-11-07T22:59:07","modified_gmt":"2011-11-07T13:59:07","slug":"more-npa-behavioral-oddities-in-alleged-murders-of-scott-kang-and-matthew-lacey-cases-in-japan-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=9500","title":{"rendered":"Japan Times: More NPA behavioral oddities re alleged murders of Scott Kang and Matthew Lacey Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hi Blog. \u00a0Speaking of odd Japanese police behavior towards NJ in criminal cases<\/a>: \u00a0We’ve talked about the Scott Kang<\/a> and Matthew Lacey<\/a> Cases here on Debito.org before. \u00a0Fortunately, these cases have gathered traction thanks to caring family members, and tenacious reporters who don’t accept the NPA’s line that both of these deaths of NJ were mere accidents (while refusing to cooperate promptly and clearly on autopsy reports). \u00a0I have argued before that Japanese justice operates on a different (and subordinate) track for NJ victims of Japanese crime (i.e., Japanese perps get off the hook, foreign perps get thrown the book)<\/a>. \u00a0These articles in the Japan Times help to fortify that case (not to mention further illustrate how the USG’s missions abroad are woefully inadequate in providing service and protections to their own citizens<\/a>). \u00a0Arudou Debito<\/p>\n

==================================<\/p>\n

Japan Times, Tuesday, Sep. 6, 2011<\/strong>
\n THE ZEIT GIST<\/strong>
\n Kang family takes fight for justice to Tokyo (excerpt)<\/strong>
\n Father of young Korean-American who died in murky circumstances in Kabuki-cho feels let down by both the police and U.S. Embassy<\/strong>
\n By SIMON SCOTT<\/strong>
\nhttp:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/text\/fl20110906zg.html<\/a>, courtesy of the author<\/p>\n

…Sung Won, the father of Hoon “Scott” Kang, the Korean-American tourist who died in mysterious circumstances in Shinjuku last year, arrived in Tokyo this week to continue his fight to seek justice for his son…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Kang family is upset by the news that the official investigation into their son’s death has now been closed after the police concluded his death was accidental.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I feel very angry and heartbroken,” says Scott’s father.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Kangs and their supporters strongly reject the police finding of accidental death and want to see the case re-opened. They are also deeply unhappy with the way the Japanese police carried out the investigation and their failure to inform the family when they closed the case.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Not only did they not tell my family, but we heard the news five months late. I was furious,” Kang says.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Nineteen-year-old Scott Kang was found lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood in the early hours of Aug. 26, 2010, in the sixth-floor stairwell of Collins Building 15, an eight-story high-rise of small hostess bars and clubs located near Shinjuku City Hall in Kabuki-cho. He remained in a coma for five days before dying of his injuries, his mother by his side, at the Kokuritsu Kokusai Iryo Kenkyu Center in Shinjuku.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The police investigation into his death was officially closed on Feb. 22, but the family was not informed of the fact until July \u2014 five months later…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police say they notified the consular section of the American Embassy in Tokyo that the investigation had been closed on Feb. 22, and thought the information would be passed on to the Kang family.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

But according to Mr. Kang, he received no communication from the U.S. authorities about the investigation’s closure until early July when an officer from the U.S. State Department telephoned.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kang says that the failure of the embassy to pass on such critical information in a timely fashion shows the embassy is not taking the case seriously. “I feel the U.S. Embassy acted as if Scott was not a U.S. citizen.”…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Kang family don’t just believe the police’s decision to close the investigation into Scott’s death was premature; they also think the police are withholding critical evidence from them that could prove Scott’s death was not accidental. One such piece of evidence is the autopsy report.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When Mr. Kang and Wozniak met with the Shinjuku police in October they requested a copy of the autopsy report into Scott’s death, but the police refused…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The refusal by police to give the next-of-kin of a deceased person a copy of the autopsy is common in Japan, but it is an approach that has attracted increasing criticism over the years. No one is more familiar with the difficulty of getting the police to release an autopsy than 50-year-old U.S. citizen and Japan resident Charles Lacey.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lacey’s younger brother, Matthew Lacey, tragically died in Fukuoka in 2004 in suspicious circumstances. On Aug. 17 of that year, while Charles was staying in New York, he got a call from the Fukuoka Police informing him that they had found his brother’s body at the apartment where he lived and that he had died from dehydration and diarrhea…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the unusual circumstances of his brother’s death, Lacey says the police initially had no plans to perform an autopsy, and it was only at his own behest that they reluctantly agreed to carry one out.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

After Charles signed the necessary papers, an autopsy was performed on Aug. 19, two days after he was told of his brother’s death, at Kyushu University Hospital. Later the police told Charles that the autopsy showed a 20-cm fracture on his brother’s skull, and that based on this, their determination of cause of death had changed from death by sickness to an accident…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lacey added that in his home country, it is standard procedure for a copy of the autopsy to be given to the next-of-kin of a deceased person when requested. In Japan, as Lacey discovered, things are not so simple, and it took him almost three years to get a copy of the report.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Full article at
\n http:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/text\/fl20110906zg.html<\/a><\/p>\n

========================================<\/p>\n

Earlier article by the same author:<\/p>\n

The Japan Times Tuesday, May 31, 2011<\/strong>
\n THE ZEIT GIST<\/strong>
\n Family slams stalled probe into Kabuki-cho death<\/strong>
\n Questions linger nine months after teenage American tourist was found unconscious in a Shinjuku stairwell<\/strong>
\n By SIMON SCOTT, courtesy of the author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nine months after their only son, Hoon “Scott” Kang, a Korean-American tourist, died from severe head injuries sustained in the stairwell of a building in Kabuki-cho, his family and friends are still no closer to understanding how he died.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the Shinjuku police have officially opened an investigation into Scott’s death, the family has been told only that the investigation is “not complete.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rest of the article at http:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/text\/fl20110531zg.html<\/a><\/p>\n

===========================================<\/p>\n

Earlier article on Matthew Lacey Case, by Eric Johnston:<\/p>\n

The Japan Times, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007<\/strong>
\n BUNGLED POLICE PROBE; UNCOOPERATIVE PROSECUTORS<\/strong>
\n U.S. man on quest to find cause of brother’s death (excerpt)<\/strong>
\n By ERIC JOHNSTON Staff writer, courtesy of the author<\/strong>
\nhttp:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/text\/nn20070206f2.html<\/a><\/p>\n

OSAKA — Charles Lacey’s brother died mysteriously 2 1\/2 years ago in Fukuoka and he’s still trying to learn the cause.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

He believes police bungled the investigation, wrongly concluded the death was due to an accident and are, like prosecutors, purposely withholding key information that could suggest foul play…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

At the time, the family was told by police the preliminary cause of death was thought to be severe diarrhea and dehydration. Feces stains had been found on the toilet seat and the carpet, and Matt, who suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, had recently received a prescription to treat diarrhea. Robbery did not appear to be a motive, as Japanese and U.S. currency worth nearly $1,000 was found in plain view.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

But once the Lacey brothers arrived in Fukuoka, the cops changed their story. The autopsy had revealed a 20-cm crack in Matt’s skull, and “cerebral hemorrhage” was now listed as the cause of death.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The English translation of the postmortem, which was prepared by Fukuoka police and not by the doctor who performed the exam, attributed the death to an “unknown external cause” and “it is suspected the subject was hit on the head.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To the family’s surprise, foul play was ruled out.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We were told by police that Matt must have fallen down in the kitchen, striking his head, and that the fall resulted in the skull fracture, despite the fact there were no signs in the kitchen of a fall,” Lacey said. “Our family felt something was wrong and that the police weren’t doing their job. There were too many unanswered questions to believe this was just an accident, as the police wanted us to believe.”…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rest of the article at http:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/text\/nn20070206f2.html<\/a>
\nENDS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speaking of odd Japanese police behavior towards NJ in criminal cases: We’ve talked about the Scott Kang and Matthew Lacey Cases here on Debito.org before. Fortunately, these cases have gathered traction thanks to caring family members, and tenacious reporters who don’t accept the NPA’s line that both of these deaths of NJ were mere accidents (while refusing to cooperate promptly and clearly on autopsy reports). I have argued before that Japanese justice operates on a different (and subordinate) track for NJ victims of Japanese crime (i.e., Japanese perps get off the hook, foreign perps get thrown the book). These articles in the Japan Times help to fortify that case (not to mention further illustrate how the USG’s missions abroad are woefully inadequate in providing service and protections to their own citizens).<\/p>\n

JT: Nineteen-year-old Scott Kang was found lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood in the early hours of Aug. 26, 2010, in the sixth-floor stairwell of Collins Building 15, an eight-story high-rise of small hostess bars and clubs located near Shinjuku City Hall in Kabuki-cho. He remained in a coma for five days before dying of his injuries, his mother by his side, at the Kokuritsu Kokusai Iryo Kenkyu Center in Shinjuku…<\/p>\n

The Kangs and their supporters strongly reject the police finding of accidental death and want to see the case re-opened. They are also deeply unhappy with the way the Japanese police carried out the investigation and their failure to inform the family when they closed the case [in February]… But according to Mr. Kang, he received no communication from the U.S. authorities about the investigation’s closure until early July when an officer from the U.S. State Department telephoned.<\/p>\n

Kang says that the failure of the embassy to pass on such critical information in a timely fashion shows the embassy is not taking the case seriously. “I feel the U.S. Embassy acted as if Scott was not a U.S. citizen.”…<\/p>\n

JT: Charles Lacey’s brother died mysteriously [in 2004] in Fukuoka and he’s still trying to learn the cause. He believes police bungled the investigation, wrongly concluded the death was due to an accident and are, like prosecutors, purposely withholding key information that could suggest foul play…<\/p>\n

The English translation of the postmortem, which was prepared by Fukuoka police and not by the doctor who performed the exam, attributed the death to an “unknown external cause” and “it is suspected the subject was hit on the head.” To the family’s surprise, foul play was ruled out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,36,50,37,26,10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pinprick-protests","category-bad-social-science","category-gaiatsu","category-injustice","category-ironies-hypocrisies","category-japanese-policeforeign-crime","category-problematic-foreign-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9500"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9500\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}