May 27, 2025

By Shinichiro Nakajima (Comusta-Kar Association for Living Together with Foreigners) (translated from Japanese) 

Ms. Nguyet, a Vietnamese technical intern, gave birth unexpectedly at an acquaintance’s home in February 2024. Tragically, the baby was stillborn. In a state of heavy bleeding and severe physical distress, Ms. Nguyet placed the baby’s body into a plastic bag she managed to find and temporarily put it in a nearby trash bin while crouched down in pain. Later, the acquaintance who had returned home took her to the hospital. During her medical examination, the police were notified, and she was indicted for the crime of corpse abandonment.

Despite being in an extreme situation where she had no opportunity to seek help, the Fukuoka District Court handed down a guilty verdict on March 7, 2025, sentencing her to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years. Nguyet, dissatisfied with the ruling, appealed to the Fukuoka High Court on March 14, seeking a not-guilty verdict.

The Criminal Division 3 of the Fukuoka High Court (Presiding Judge Koji Hiratsuka) set a deadline of May 16 for the submission of the statement of reasons for appeal. On that same day, Nguyet’s legal defense team submitted a roughly 60-page statement to the Fukuoka High Court. The first hearing of the appeal trial will be held as follows:

1. First Hearing of the Appeal Trial in the Case of Ms. Nguyet, Defendant in the Corpse Abandonment Case

Date: Monday, June 23, 2025

Time: From 2:30 PM

Location: Fukuoka High Court, Courtroom 1013 on the 10th Floor (48 seats available for public gallery)

From 1:30 PM: Rally in front of Fukuoka High Court

From 2:30 PM: First hearing, court observation

From 3:30 PM: Report meeting (Fukuoka Bar Association Hall, 2nd floor)

Sign the Petition in Support of Ms. Nguyet’s not guilty plea 

https://change.org/NguyetSanWaMuzai