2023-12-06 17:01:31
The Chilean Nicolás Zepeda, tried for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Narumi Kurosaki in 2016 in France, acknowledged this Wednesday for the first time in seven years his presence in the student residence where the young Japanese woman lived.
First modification: 06/12/2023 – 16:01
2 min
“I had been in Besançon for a day or two. I went in to knock on Narumi’s door and see if I could go for a coffee,” declared Nicolás Zepeda in French from the dock of the Vesoul court (east).
Zepeda, 32, appealed the sentence in 2022 to 28 years in prison for the premeditated murder of Kurosaki, whose body did not appear. In the ongoing trial he again faces life in prison.
His statement about his presence in the building days before Kurosaki’s disappearance surprised the court, whose president, François Arnaud, asked why he entered the residence.
“I wanted things to be in order,” he explains. At the time of the breakup, “we talked (…) about renewing our friendship and I wanted an answer to that question,” she added.
The accused claimed that he had omitted this information because he was “embarrassed” to admit that he wanted to resume their relationship.
A journalist photographs the documents on the first day of the appeal trial of Chilean Nicolás Zepeda, accused of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, on December 4, 2023 in Vesoul, France © Sébastien Bozon / AFP
“Now I’m not afraid anymore”
“Now I’m not afraid anymore. I’m here to tell you everything. If I ever lied or omitted something, I’ll tell you,” he added.
The turn came from pressure from his own defense lawyer, Renaud Portejoie, following the testimony of a former student, Nadia Ouaked, who claimed to have seen him in a kitchen at the residence.
“I saw a boy sitting on the floor behind the door, curled up. (…) His eyes were swollen, as if he had cried a lot (…) I felt sorry for him,” added the 31-year-old.
“She’s listening. She’s not here to settle scores. She felt sorry for him,” Portejoie told his client. “Obviously, she’s not lying. I’m telling you what I think. Are you sure you didn’t enter the fourth floor?” he asked.
Some photos of Narumi Kurosaki, seen in Vesoul, France, on December 4, 2023, on the first day of the appeal trial of Chilean Nicolás Zepeda, accused of murdering his Japanese ex-girlfriend in 2016 © Sébastien Bozon / AFP
Overwhelmed, Zepeda gives in and, when asked by his lawyer, also acknowledges that the reason for his trip to Europe was “essentially to see Narumi.” He had always assured that he was attending a conference in Switzerland.
“These are two important changes in the statements,” celebrated the prosecutor, Étienne Manteaux.
The appeal process is scheduled until December 22.
#Chilean #accused #homicide #acknowledges #presence #residence #Japanese #exgirlfriend