A statue honoring Tiphaine Véron, the French tourist who vanished in Japan in 2018, was unveiled Wednesday near the Nikko hotel where she was last seen. Eight years on and still without a single solid lead, her family is now pushing for Japan's national police to take over the stalled investigation.
The teaching assistant was last seen on 29 July 2018, whilst visiting the popular tourist town of Nikko, north of Tokyo.
The 36-year-old, who was known to have suffered from epileptic fits, was due to spend two days in the area, famed for its temples and wood-covered hills.
At the time, Japanese police mounted a search but found no trace of her. French authorities also launched an investigation into her disappearance.
Her passport was found among her belongings in her hotel room.
The French Ambassador to Japan reiterated her support for the family at a ceremony on Wednesday, marking eight years to the day since Tiphaine disappeared.
'French authorities at the highest level are committed to supporting and standing by you, even if it is never enough', Béatrice Le Fraper du Hellen said, during the inauguration of a statue of the young woman.
'As an ambassador, and as a woman, I am fully aware that there are no words to describe the loss of a child or a sister', she added, addressing Tiphaine Véron's family.
Anne Désert, Tiphaine's mother, praised the 'symbolic value' of the statue created by sculptor Mana Yokoi, which she feels offers a 'place for quiet reflection in the heart of Nikko'.
'She embodies perseverance and the refusal to give up the search', she added, deeply moved, after caressing the statue's cheek.
Whilst Japanese authorities are leaning towards the theory of an accident, her family is calling for a criminal investigation, lamenting that the case has so far remained in the hands of local police.
On Tuesday, the family took part in a meeting with the Nikko police attended by representatives of the national police, a first that Tiphaine's brother, Damien Véron, welcomed.
However, he regrets that the points raised by the family were not sufficiently taken into account.
According to a report by a specialised Swiss firm commissioned by the family, the geolocation of Tiphaine's final movements, tracked via her mobile phone, contradicts the account given by the owner of the hotel where she was staying alone. The hotel owner, who reported her missing, has consistently maintained that he saw her leave at 10:00 a.m.
'It's hugely frustrating', says Damien Véron. 'The fact that they dismiss a report is annoying enough, but the fact that they don't do the work themselves is maddening. We're hitting a brick wall; that's why the goal is for the national police to take over the case.'
The family also says it has referred the matter to the public safety commission of Tochigi Prefecture, where Nikko is located, an administrative body responsible for overseeing the prefectural police.
Contacted by French news agency AFP, the commission declined to comment on the case.
For local residents, the disappearance is 'mysterious' and 'disturbing', notes Mirai Nakada, a 57-year-old guide-interpreter from Tochigi who has been assisting the family with their search for several years. Whilst highlighting people's 'compassion', she acknowledges that 'memories of the case are beginning to fade' in Nikko.
(with AFP)
