Lindsay's father appeals to Japanese people for help in finding killer

The heartbroken father of murdered Briton Lindsay Hawker has appealed to the Japanese sense of honour, saying that his daughter's killer had 'brought shame' on their nation.

William Hawker's plea to the public for information struck at the heart of a culture in which loss of face is a matter of grave importance.

It is rare in such cases for a foreigner to speak so frankly - and for his words to be broadcast nationally - but Mr Hawker's statement is seen by British officials as a drastic gambit in the hunt for Tatsuya Ishihashi, 28, who has evaded capture for a week.

Lindsay, 22, from Brandon, Coventry, was in Tokyo teaching English.

Her naked and bound body was found last Monday in a sand-filled bath on the balcony of 28-year-old student Ishihashi.

British ambassador Sir Graham Fry read out the statement in the absence of Lindsay's father.

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With a photo of Lindsay beside him, a grim-faced Mr Fry made the appeal in Japanese and English for Japanese national TV.

My daughter loved this country," read Mr Hawker's statement.

"She loved meeting people and thought of Japan as an honourable society, built on trust and respect. When we visited her in Japan, she was proud to show us her life here.

"My daughter's killer has now brought shame on your country. He must be caught. He cannot be allowed to hide away.

"The Japanese police are making every possible effort to catch him.

"I still respect this country and its people. I know that you place great importance on family and community links. So, as a father, I appeal to you - if anyone can help the police to find my daughter's killer, I beg you to come forward."

Mr Fry said Lindsay's family were grateful that the Japanese authorities were doing all they can.

"But they will still need the help of the Japanese public to catch the criminal," he added.

"And so I echo the appeal made by Lindsay's father for anyone who can help, please, please to come forward."

British officials said they would not be revealing whether Mr Hawker and Lindsay's boyfriend, Ryan Garside, were still in Japan.

Mr Hawker said in Tokyo last week that he would not rest until his daughter's killer had been found.

Ishihashi's name was found at Lindsay's apartment after her disappearance.

But as police were questioning him about her whereabouts, he ran away barefoot.

It is thought that Lindsay had gone to Ishihashi's flat to give him an English lesson after he had followed her home one day to ask for tuition.

Police revealed that she was punched and tortured for several hours before being strangled, but declined to say whether she was also raped. Mr Hawker's appeal comes as the Japanese media's interest has begun to fade.

One young Western woman in Tokyo said: "There was a lot of publicity about it on TV in the first few days, but there's been hardly anything since then."

Police, however, have carried out a series of raids on homes they suspect may be linked to Ishihashi.

In one case, a journalist who had phoned Ishihashi's parents was visited by police tracing calls to the house.

"They were trying to find out if Ishihashi had been using a friend's phone to call his parents," he said.