Tourism minister gets involved in Japanese tourist’s unsolved murder
Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat on Tuesday promised the family of a Japanese tourist raped and murdered in Sukhothai in 2007 that he would coordinate with case investigators.
The case of Tomoko Kawashita, 25, has been taken over by the Department of Special Investigation after Ayutthaya police failed to solve it.
Kawashita’s body, with physical evidence of rape, was found inside Wat Saphan Hin in the park compound on November 25, 2007.
Weerasak said his ministry wants to assist the parents of the victim, who reportedly plan to hold a religious rite on the anniversary of her death.
He has requested the Japanese embassy in Thailand to ask the parents for the planned date of the rite so that the ministry could provide help.
The rape and murder case has stalled.
A DNA check of 300 people living near Sukhothai Historical Park found no matches for the semen found on the victim’s body.
The DSI took up the case six months ago.