Man, 29, falls from building in Japan, kills woman, 23, her dad calls for murder charge

The father of a 23-year-old woman who died after being struck by a man who fell from an apartment building in Nagoya, Japan, is calling for the man to face a murder charge.

Tomoki Inaba was walking with a friend along a pavement in Sakae, Naka Ward, when 29-year-old Nobunari Taguchi fell from a building and struck her, according to TBS News Dig and Tokyo Reporter.

Taguchi was believed to have been attempting suicide.

He initially lost consciousness but later recovered.

Tomoki’s father, Kenji Inaba, said he was still struggling to accept her death and often wished it had not happened.

Arrested on suspicion of gross negligence

Taguchi was arrested in August on suspicion of gross negligence resulting in death.

The Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office has since placed him under psychiatric evaluation until Jan. 13, 2027 to determine whether he can be held criminally responsible, according to TBS.

Kenji, however, believes the case should be treated as murder.

He argued that Taguchi was aware someone below could be killed but went ahead regardless.

Nearly 300 people passed area late at night

The area where the incident occurred remains busy even late at night.

Kenji said he staked out the area at 1am, the time of the incident, and counted nearly 300 pedestrians passing in under two hours, Tokyo Reporter reported, citing TV Asahi.

He has also visited Taguchi in detention three times.

According to Kenji, Taguchi apologised.

The father said he then asked whether Taguchi had acted despite not caring if someone below was harmed, and claimed that Taguchi agreed.

Neither TBS nor Tokyo Reporter included a comment directly from Taguchi about the father's account.

Murder charge difficult to prove

Legal experts, however, said proving a murder charge would be difficult.

Lawyer Yasuo Sawai said that proving murderous intent in such circumstances would be difficult, as it could be impossible to predict whether another person would actually be struck, per Tokyo Reporter.

Kenji nevertheless wants the case treated as more than an accident.

“I don't want this treated as just an accident,” he said.

Petition draws more than 40,000 signatures

On Sep. 21, Kenji launched an online petition calling for a murder charge.

TBS reported that it attracted more than 40,000 signatures in about two weeks.

Kenji said he hoped the campaign could lead to changes in how similar cases are handled in future and serve as proof that his daughter had lived.