Police admit mistakes made in the investigation into the murder of a Japanese woman, with several consequences

Police have admitted having made mistakes during the investigation of the murder of a Japanese woman in Budapest, spokespersons of the Budapest (BRFK) and national police headquarters (ORFK) said on Tuesday, adding that an internal investigation had found five people responsible.

Gergely Fülöp, the head of the communications department of BRFK, said the internal investigation had been launched to establish whether the police made a mistake when they refused to investigate a complaint by the woman in November, who reported that her husband had threatened her life.

As a result of the investigation, disciplinary proceedings are under way against five policemen of Budapest’s 5th district. A department head was removed from their position, a deputy department head was placed in another post. Fulop apologised for the mistakes made. The policeman who responded to Facebook comments on the issue, which Fulop said were “unworthy” of the situation, was also disciplined and removed from his position, Fulop said. The chief of the Budapest police has ordered to increase the number of policemen participating in sensitising trainings on domestic violence, Fulop said.

Kristóf Gál, the head of the communications department of ORFK, said the chief of national police has ordered a review of all rejected complaints of relationship abuse in the past year. Investigations concluded in absence of a crime or for lack of evidence will also be reviewed, and all ongoing cases will be subjected to expert supervision, he said.

Police reported a week ago that they had launched a murder investigation over an apartment fire in Budapest’s 5th district, and arrested the ex-husband of the woman found dead at the scene. The fire broke out on January 29, and was reported by the victim’s former husband, an Irish national, ORFK said. ORFK said they had found no signs of a crime initially but later acted on the suspicion that the man may have returned to the flat after having taken the children away in the morning and killed his ex-wife before reporting the fire to the emergency services.

related articles in this case:

• Abused Japanese woman dies in Budapest apartment fire: suspicious circumstances emerge, details HERE
• Japanese mother killed by her ex-husband in a downtown apartment fire in Budapest – UPDATE
• Budapest police officers under review for neglecting murdered Japanese woman’s “cries for help” – details HERE