Japan: Seven years after her disappearance, Tiphaine Véron's family faces inaction from the justice system

The wait has lasted for almost seven years for Tiphaine Véron's family. Originally from Poitiers, this assistant for children with learning difficulties was on vacation in Japan when she disappeared on July 29, 2018. That same morning, the then 36-year-old woman had breakfast at her hotel in Nikko, 150 km north of Tokyo. Her belongings, including her passport, were found in her room.

According to the Japanese police, the French woman was the victim of an accident, a fall into a river near her hotel. A theory that does n't convince Tiphaine Véron's family , especially in the absence of a body. For seven years, Damien, her brother, and Sibylle, her sister, have been conducting their own investigation in a country marked by the phenomenon of the "evaporated": each year, nearly 100,000 Japanese leave their families and their jobs without leaving a trace.

Damien Véron flew to Japan on Tuesday, where he is going for the eighth time, in the hope of finding answers. "My family's firm conviction is that Tiphaine was attacked in her room or nearby," he explained to France Inter before his departure. According to him, not all avenues have been explored. For example, "the traces of blood found in her room have never been examined."

Damien Véron plans to mobilize on the ground, launching a new appeal for witnesses in Japanese, organizing a concert in Tokyo on July 19, and unveiling a statue of his sister in Nikko at the end of the month. "We know it's getting more and more difficult as time goes on, but in Tiphaine's case, we have suspects," he assures, without elaborating.

Nikko residents are accompanying him. "This will give us access we've never had before. We'll go directly to the register of unidentified bodies, to see photographs and the conditions in which the bodies were found. This could lead to progress. There will also be a meeting with the Nikko police. The goal is still to encourage them to open a criminal investigation."

Because since 2018, the Japanese police have not interviewed witnesses or even searched the hotel. "In Japan, the judicial system does not allow for questioning or police custody until the culprit has been arrested," Damien Véron explained to Le Figaro in June, on the occasion of the release of the documentary L'air humide , directed by Cécile Juan. "It seems absurd, because obviously you don't have an investigation open if there is no flagrant offense or material evidence. So, it's frustrating."

Since Tiphaine's disappearance, Tiphaine's family has been clinging to the rare bits of good news they've received, such as when the case was referred to the Nanterre cold case unit in 2023. "It's very likely that there will be a tragic outcome to Tiphaine's disappearance," says Damien Véron. "But that's the tragedy of disappearances, you never know. We imagine it's the end, that Tiphaine is no longer there... Except that sometimes we think, 'But what if that's not the case? What if she's held captive somewhere?' It's almost impossible to stop."