AICHI (TR) – A 34-year-old Tokyo woman has been accused of destroying 54 valuable violins owned by her former husband, a craftsman of the instrument, more than three years ago, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (July 25).
Sometime between the morning of January 30, 2014 and the evening of February 19 that same year, Midori Kawamiya, a Chinese national living in the capital’s Koto Ward, allegedly trespassed into the residence of her former husband, a 62-year-old national of Norway, and smashed 54 violins and 70 bows valued at 105.9 million yen.
According to the Nakamura Police Station, Kawamiya, who has been accused of trespassing and property damage, admits to entering the residence but denies destroying the instruments.
Divorce
During the incident, the victim was away from his residence on a business trip. He and his wife were living apart and undergoing divorce proceedings.
The damaged violins were made by the suspect’s former husband or collected by him. One of the instruments, made in Italy, was valued at around 50 million yen.
For work reasons, Kawamiya regularly visits China. On July 24, police arrested her upon her arrival back in Japan following a trip to China. The statute of limitations in such a case is three years. However, the period will be extended to the period that the suspect spent outside the country.
