Tatsuya Ichihashi to go on trial for murder

Brtish teacher, 22-year-old Lindsay Hawker was raped and killed in Chiba, to the east of Tokyo, in March 2007. She had recently graduated from university, when she was killed. She was teaching in a language school in Japan and her killer was one of her students.

Her body was found in a sand-filled bathtub. The bathtub was on the balcony of Tatsuya Ichihashi's home.

32-year-old Tatsuya Ichihashi was othe student in question. He was not arrested until November 2009. In a bizarre twist Ichihashi confessed to the murder in a book. In the book "Until I was Arrested" he details the what, how and where of Lindsay's killing, adding a confession.

He also writes about his time on the run, from the police, and what he did to evade capture. Part of his tactics, to remain free, was to change his appearance dramatically In order to do so he underwent plastic surgery and has even admitted to carrying out some amateur procedures on himself. However, he was not able to fool the police entirely and was eventually apprehended.

In January 2011, Ichihashi  promised to donate any proceeds from the book to Lindsay's grieving family.

Finally for them some closure may be possible, as Ichihashi is due to stand trial for this murder.

Today, July 2, 2011, Lindsay's parents and family members flew from Heathrow airport, in the UK, to Japan. Lindsay's sisters, Lisa, aged 29, and Louise, aged 24, joined their parents.

The trial is scheduled to conclude by July 21, 2011.

It is expected that Lindsay's parents, Bill and Julia Hawker, will give ecidence at the trial. Mr and Mrs Hawker will be classed as "victim participants" in the trial and they will be able, at the discretion of the court, to question the defendant. They will also be able to give their opinion on sentencing.

Tatsuya Ichihashi stands charged of rape, murder and other charges, in relation to Lindsay's death. Perhaps her family will get justice at last.