The trial of Chilean Zepeda for murder in France enters its final phase

The process of Chilean Nicolás Zepeda in the French city of Besanzón entered its final phase on Monday with the arguments of the civil parties, requesting that the 31-year-old defendant be found guilty of the murder of his Japanese ex-girlfriend Narumi Kurosaki.

“The restrained tears of the civil party is what should prevail when it comes to condemning those who are on the bench [de los acusados]Nicolás Zepeda”, defended Sylvie Galley, a lawyer for Narumi’s family, whose mother, who traveled from Tokyo to Besanzón (east), caused deep emotion in Wednesday’s hearing by expressing her pain at not knowing what happened to her daughter, whose body was never found.

Hearing her lawyer’s words about Narumi, “move forever”, Taeko Kurosaki hugged the portrait of her daughter, from which she has not taken off since the trial began on March 29.

“Narumi wrote on July 17, 2016: ‘Nicolas, I am so proud […] you are surely the best boy of my life’. Five months later, the best boy took his life,” Galley said, referring to a “femicide”.

On the defendants’ bench, wearing a mask and tie, Nicolás Zepeda remained motionless, watching and listening.

Narumi Kurosaki was doing a university exchange in Besançon at the time of her disappearance, on December 4, 2016. According to the indictment, Zepeda traveled to France to see her again, motivated by “jealousy”, and then killed her and hid her body. .

The Chilean rejects the charges, liable to life imprisonment, and assures that, although he spent nearly 30 hours with Narumi in his room, in a university residence in Besanzón, when he left her, at dawn on December 6, the young woman He was in perfect health.

For his part, Randall Schwerdorffer, the other lawyer for the civil party, who represents Narumi’s boyfriend at the time of his disappearance, Arthur del Piccolo, affirmed that Zepeda committed a “cold-blooded crime”, as witnessed by -according to him- the purchases he made days before meeting with Narumi and her disappearance: a can of flammable liquid and matches.

“Nicolas Zepeda’s hand did not shake, and I would ask this court not to shake when it makes its decision,” launched the lawyer, who called the defendant a “manipulator.”

Zepeda “has done everything to get out [impune] without remorse: lies, constant changes of version… all in order to hide the reality,” Schwerdorffer insisted.

In the afternoon, the prosecutor Étienne Manteaux will issue his sentence request.

At the end of the day, the defense lawyers, Jacqueline Laffont and Julie Benedetti, will insist, in their arguments, on the “mystery zones” that surround the case.

With Zepeda cornered by the elements of the investigation and by the testimonies, all the actors in this process -including his own lawyer- asked the accused what happened to Narumi Kurosaki on the night of December 4, 2016 and where is the young woman’s body.

“I did not kill Narumi! I also want to know!” The Chilean cried during his last interrogation, last Thursday, maintaining his version until the end.

Extradited in 2020 from Chile, Zepeda will be able to make a final statement during the closing of the debates on Tuesday, before the jury retires to deliberate to decide its verdict.

maj-as-jvb / zm

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