NAGANO (TR) – “I don’t want to forget these curtains and window until I leave this house vacant.”
Those are the phrases of 60-year-old Takenori Ichikawa. Five years in the past, a yakuza member broke into the home within the city of Sakaki by the window and took the lives of his daughter and son.
Last month, Ichikawa spoke to Fuji News Network (June 2) about his unhealed grief. Since the incident, the daddy has continued to name for the enlargement of help for crime victims, saying that “there is still a lot of room for improvement.”
On the night time of May 26, 2020, gang member Sho Ozawa, aged 35 on the time, broke into and shot and killed Ichikawa’s eldest daughter, 22-year-old Anna, and second son, 16-year-old Naoto, with a handgun. Ozawa then dedicated suicide on the spot.
Two days earlier than the incident, police had obtained an arrest warrant for Ozawa on suspicion of assaulting Ichikawa’s eldest son. Police had additionally taken measures to evacuate the son. However, this didn’t stop the crime from being dedicated in opposition to the household.
“Yesterday [May 19] was Naoto’s 21st birthday,” Ichikawa mentioned. “I spent the whole day thinking, ‘What kind of 21 year old would he have been?’ Anna will be 28 on her birthday, so she is at that age where she would have started a family and raised children. But a life surrounded by many grandchildren is no longer possible, and that has become the future for me and my wife.”
False rumors
Adding to the ache are the “false rumors” and “slander,” equivalent to “the eldest son had ties to a gang” and “it’s the father’s fault for not letting him escape.”
“The loss of two children is already painful for our family, and the secondary damage adds even more to the suffering. It’s been a difficult five years,” mentioned Ichikawa.
The authorities is providing some help.
In 2022, the prefecture enacted the Crime Victim Support Ordinance, which incorporates the fee of condolence cash to bereaved households and victims.
The motion for such help by municipalities accelerated following the homicide of 4 individuals in Nakano City in 2023. Currently, 73 of the 77 municipalities have ordinances in place. The remaining 4 municipalities are anticipated to enact their ordinances by fiscal 2025.
Ichikawa mentioned, “I believe that being in a stable economic environment is absolutely necessary for the psychological damage caused by crime to heal, so this ordinance will allow for significant assistance to victims. I think it is a big step forward that [support] has become possible thanks to the enactment of the ordinance.”
“Tomoni-kai”
“Tomoni-kai” was launched final yr by citizen volunteers in Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture. In order to unfold understanding about crime sufferer help, the group meets as soon as a month to study concerning the present state of efforts nationwide. Ichikawa additionally participated within the exercise on May 17.
“Tomoni-kai” consultant Yamazaki Kazuo mentioned, “In everyday life, it is difficult to understand the feelings, living conditions and hardships of those who have become victims of crime. It is very important to actively look at the crimes that occur every day in the world from the victim’s perspective.”
Ichikawa mentioned, “It is important to let people know, and if you feel that the voices of the victims are strongly needed when talking about the reality, we would like to cooperate.”
Five years have handed because the incident. Ichikawa mentioned he wish to proceed to share his experiences and ideas as a sufferer with a view to develop help for crime victims.
“It is true that there are still some areas that have not been noticed and some areas that I think can be done. The bereaved families of victims of violent crimes are so confused that they do not know what to ask for, and they lose sight of themselves for a long period of time, so I think it is necessary to understand this and use your imagination to create support,” he mentioned.