TOCHIGI (TR) – The mother of a French woman who went missing in Tochigi Prefecture last month has sent a letter to French president Emmanuel Macron in seeking his help with the ongoing search, which she feels is not progressing, reports TBS News (Aug. 8).
Tiphaine Veron, 36, has not been seen after she departed a lodge in Nikko City on July 29 to go trekking. Since then, Tochigi Prefectural Police have not found any witnesses or uncovered any leads, which is frustrating her family.
“The progress of the investigation is too slow,” the mother of Veron wrote to Macron in a hand-written letter. The letter, which was posted on Twitter by Veron’s younger sister on Tuesday, says that the police are not doing their utmost to find persons who saw her daughter and track her mobile telephone.
According to police, Veron arrived in Japan as a tourist on July 27. The following day, she checked into the lodge in the Takumicho area of Nikko for a two-night stay.
Traveling alone, Veron departed the lodge after breakfast at around 10:00 a.m. on July 29. According to the male manager of the lodge, she was carrying a shoulder bag. He did not see her again, police said.
日光訪問中に行方不明 フランス人女性の捜索続く #nhk_news https://t.co/RVRJYg9vLt
— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) August 7, 2018
A search of her room revealed her passport and luggage. A note left in the room included a list of sightseeing locations in the area, including the World Heritage site Toshogu Shrine, police said.
On Sunday, police publicly released images showing Veron. With a medium build, she stands about 165 centimeters tall and has short brown hair. She also suffers from an undisclosed disease that requires her to take medication to prevent her from fainting. Members of her family arrived in Japan to assist in the search on August 4.
Police are treating the case as the result of foul play or an accident.
Persons with information on the case are advised to contact the Nikko Police Station at 0288-53-0110.
