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Court hands woman prison term for destroying ex-husband’s violins

AICHI (TR) – A court here on Thursday handed a female Chinese national a two-year prison term for destroying her former husband’s collection of musical equipment at his Nagoya residence four years ago, reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 19).

In January and February of 2014, Midori Kawamiya, 35, broke into the residence of her then husband, with whom she was separated, and smashed 55 violins, one viola and 70 bows, all of which had a total value of roughly 15.6 million yen, according to the ruling handed down at the Nagoya District Court.

The prosecution had sought a three-year term.

Midori Kawamiya
Midori Kawamiya (Twitter)

According to a previous report, a video shot inside the premises showed damage to multiple pieces of furniture, a piano splattered with liquid, a smashed camera, defaced wedding photographs, various items (suitcases, clothing and documents) strewn about the floors and the destroyed musical instruments.

An ominous message was also scrawled on a wall of a room. “The children came to play,” it read. “From your wife.”

During the trial, Kawamiya, whose divorce from her husband, a national of Norway, was finalized in 2016, admitted to breaking only some of the equipment. In handing down the ruling, presiding judge Satoko Shotokuji said that the actions of the defendant represented “strong hatred.”

After the ruling was handed down, the defense lodged an appeal.