Nicolas Zepeda, suspected of having killed his ex-Japanese girlfriend Narumi Kurosaki in 2016 in Besançon and extradited Thursday by Chile, was placed in solitary confinement, we learned Tuesday July 28 from a source judicial. The suspect indicted on Friday for the murder of the young woman was imprisoned in an isolation cell at the Besançon remand center " for his safety ", a judicial source told AFP.
Read also: Narumi case: the Chilean suspect Nicolas Zepeda placed in pre-trial detention
“ In view of the media coverage of the case, he was placed alone in his cell. He does not meet other detainees for his own protection and to prevent him from being pressured, ”the same source said. Special surveillance measures have been put in place by the prison administration, in particular to ensure the evolution of Nicolas Zepeda's psychological state and prevent a possible " prison shock ", when he is far from his condition. family remained in Chile, according to the same source.
The respondent claims his innocence
Nicolas Zepeda, 29, is the sole suspect in the investigation into the disappearance of Narumi Kurosaki, whose body has never been found despite extensive searches. He reaffirmed that he was innocent on Friday in the office of the investigating judge in Besançon. A judge of freedoms and detention then decided on his placement in pre-trial detention.
The two young people met in 2014 in Japan, where he was studying. Nicolas Zepeda had fallen head over heels in love with the student. But shortly before Narumi's disappearance, they had distanced themselves and the Japanese student had started a new relationship, arousing the jealousy of the young Chilean. On the evening of December 4, they returned together to Narumi's accommodation on the university campus of Besançon. That night, according to investigators, several students heard " screams of terror, cries ". Nicolas Zepeda is the last to have seen the young girl.