Daughters cling to hope Japan will acquit Perth mum who they say was victim of romance scam

Detained Australian woman Donna Nelson 'romance scam' drug smuggling trial to begin in Japan - ABC NewsSkip to main contentABC NewsJust InFor YouPoliticsUS ElectionWorldBusinessAnalysisSportLifestyleEntertainmentMoreSearch the news, stories & peopleLog inNews HomeJust InFor YouAnalysisRuralWatch LiveHealthIndigenousPoliticsUS ElectionScienceElectionsWorldEnvironmentInvestigationsBusinessFact CheckLocal newsSportAFLNRLFootballTennisCricketNetballLifestyleWellbeingRelationships & FamilyFood & RecipesPersonal FinanceHome & GardenEntertainmentTV & MoviesBooksMusicPop CultureArtsYour ABC AccountPersonalise the news andstay in the knowLog in to personaliseFacebookYouTubeInstagramTwitterEmergencyBackstoryNewsletters中文新闻BERITA BAHASA INDONESIATOK PISINABCABC iViewABC ListenTriple JABC KidsABC NewsABC News News HomeDetained Australian woman Donna Nelson 'romance scam' drug smuggling trial to begin in JapanShare Detained Australian woman Donna Nelson 'romance scam' drug smuggling trial to begin in JapanBy Rebecca Trigger and North Asia correspondent James Oaten in TokyoTopic:Courts and Trials11h ago11 hours agoSat 16 Nov 2024 at 7:15pmLoading...In short:Perth grandmother Donna Nelson is facing drug smuggling charges in Japan, and her family believes she was duped by an online love scam.Her daughters will attend the trial in a court east of Tokyo this week, believing she was unknowingly tricked into carrying the drugs.What's next?Japan's high conviction rate and strict legal practices will prove a challenge, with her lawyers urging the Australian government to lobby at the highest levels for a fair trial.abc.net.au/news/donna-nelson-romance-scam-drug-smuggling-trial-begins-japan/104583802Link copiedShareShare articleAn Australian woman is set to go on trial on drug smuggling charges after almost two years in a foreign jail, with her family holding out hope authorities will believe that she is the innocent victim of a complex love scam.Perth grandmother Donna Nelson was arrested in January last year at Japan's Narita International Airport and charged with attempting to import almost two kilograms of methamphetamine into the country.Her five daughters will be in Japan for her trial, which is due to start in Chiba on Monday.They believe Ms Nelson, who was formerly married to a West Australian police detective, would never have knowingly carried illegal drugs.Kristal Hilaire desperately wants to bring her mother home to Perth. (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)"Growing up, Dad was the first Aboriginal detective in Western Australia, my grandfather was the first Aboriginal policeman in Western Australia," her eldest daughter Kristal Hilaire said."She would never, ever have any kind of involvement in something that could ruin so many lives for other people."Do you know more about this story? Contact Rebecca Trigger.Donna Nelson was the chair of the Aboriginal-run Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service, a position she has since been removed from, and the Greens candidate for Pearce in the 2022 federal election.She was also the director of the charity Pioneers Aboriginal Corporation which aimed to use sport to assist young people to overcome poverty.Her daughters think their mum was tricked by a man they knew only as "Kelly", who she met on an online dating site and had been communicating with over the previous 18 months.She told them he had his own adult children, ran a successful fashion business and was living in Japan.They planned to get married after meeting up in person.The man Donna Nelson's daughters say she was supposed to meet in Japan. The ABC has blurred his image as his identity may be evidence in her up-coming trial. (Supplied)"I think he sold this beautiful, big, blended family image with her, and that she would not have to be alone anymore," Ms Hilaire said."She was vulnerable in that she was really lonely and she just wanted to connect with someone who had similar values."Her daughters say "Kelly" offered to buy their mother an all-expenses paid trip to Japan so they could meet, but claimed she needed to stop over in Laos because he couldn't get a direct flight as it was during the Christmas-New Year period.They heard from their mum while she was in a hotel in Laos, who seemed to be enjoying her holiday.Kristal says her mum, pictured here bottom right, was like a sister and best friend to her daughters. (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)The next news they received was that she'd been arrested in Japan.Tricked into carrying suitcase, lawyer saysHer family worry authorities have not done enough to investigate the man they say lured their mother to Japan."I don't believe he worked alone, I think he was a part, and probably still is a part, of a large, sophisticated syndicate or network of people who work all around the world," Mrs Hilaire said."We've submitted as much information as we can on this person and not had any feedback, so from what we know, not really much is being done about him."Donna Nelson's five daughters will travel to Japan for her trial. (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)Ms Nelson's lawyer in Japan, Nishida Rie — one of the few people she has been permitted to speak to outside the prison — says the Perth woman was tricked into transporting a suitcase which she was not aware contained methamphetamine "cleverly hidden inside".Ms Nishida alleged there were serious issues with the way Japanese customs officials and police investigated the case."We found grave problems with the low-quality and partiality of English interpretation during customs and police investigations, as well as the failure to use objective recording methods, such as audio recordings, in the early stages of the investigation, even when it was entirely feasible to do so," Ms Nishida said.Loading..."There were significant mistranslations during the investigation stage, which might have caused a premature and erroneous suspicion of her guilt."She hoped Ms Nelson's case would prompt changes to investigative procedures in the future.99 per cent conviction rateAll of Ms Nelson's five daughters are flying to Japan to attend her trial, the first time most will have seen their mother in almost two years.Japan's legal system is notoriously opaque.Those who are arrested are held for prolonged periods without charge, frequently denied bail, interviewed by police without legal representation, and are prohibited from communicating with anyone on the outside world except their lawyer.The country also has a 99 per cent conviction rate.Ms Nelson was married to a former police detective and was always anti-drugs, her daughters say. (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)It's a system advocates Human Rights Watch have described as "hostage justice"."We're going to finally see her (at the trial) and have eye contact with her, hopefully be able to smile at her," Mrs Hilaire said."But then knowing the ordeal that she's facing, and knowing we have to hear of how this all happened, I guess, in a way, sometimes it's easy to just try not to think about all the details."Donna Nelson's family believe the West Australian grandmother was duped or forced into carrying drugs into Japan by a complex romance scam. (Supplied: Family)It's not the first time an Australian woman has claimed she was duped this way into carrying drugs.In 2014 Sydney grandmother Maria Exposto was arrested at the airport carrying a kilo of methamphetamine into Malaysia.Ms Exposto was convicted and given the death penalty but then in 2019 granted a reprieve on appeal and allowed to fly home to Australia.In Ms Exposto's case, she had been convinced to travel to China after believing she was dating a US army captain and needed to sign paperwork so they could get married.Assange lawyer on caseHigh-profile Australian lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who also represented Julian Assange, has taken on Ms Nelson's case and says her client should be treated as a victim, not a criminal."The criminal gang that are responsible for this are not being properly investigated and punished, and Donna, the victim of the crime, is being punished," she said.Kristal's daughter remembers playing and dancing with "Granny". (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)"Not just punished, held in abhorrent prison conditions, in solitary confinement in a Japanese prison."She's urged the Australian government to raise it at the highest levels to ensure a fair trial."The conviction rate in criminal cases in Japan is 99 per cent. That is very problematic when we think about the presumption of innocence, and raises serious concerns about due process," Ms Robinson said.The ABC has reached out to Japanese prosecutors who have declined to comment on Ms Nelson's case, saying it was an ongoing matter.The trial is set to start on Monday, with a verdict due on December 4.LoadingPosted 11h ago11 hours agoSat 16 Nov 2024 at 7:15pm, updated 8h ago8 hours agoSat 16 Nov 2024 at 9:46pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesXi Jinping tells Biden China 'ready to work' with Trump administrationTopic:APEC Economic Leaders' MeetingsPhoto shows Joe Biden and Xi Jinping wearing dark suits and shaking hands in front of US and Chinese flagsAustralia struggling with oversupply of solar powerTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows A solar system on a roof with foliage in the foreground.'It was a mistake': UK residents regret shared home ownership as Australian scheme back in parliamentTopic:Housing PolicyPhoto shows A man with short brown hair wears a pink shirt while looking neutrally at the cameraAlbanese unlikely to detail emissions target before next electionTopic:Environmental PolicyPhoto shows Anthony Albanese wearing a dark suit and red spotted tieAfter Jake Paul mocked Mike Tyson, he uttered four words that nobody wanted to hearSAnalysis by Simon SmalePhoto shows Mike Tyson sits with a towel around his neckRelated stories'That's hostage justice': Lawyer's fears for Australian woman charged with drug importation in JapanTopic:Courts and TrialsPhoto shows A headshot of a woman in front of a textured orange backdropAboriginal community leader detained in Japan removed as chair of health service amid 'personal challenges'Topic:CrimePhoto shows A woman with dark hair and a blue jacket stands in a parkFormer Greens candidate detained in Japan as family seek answers from authoritiesTopic:CrimePhoto shows Donna Nelson wears a solemn expressionRelated topicsCourts and TrialsCrimeDrug OffencesJapanPerthPrisons and PunishmentTop StoriesXi Jinping tells Biden China 'ready to work' with Trump administrationTopic:APEC Economic Leaders' MeetingsPhoto shows Joe Biden and Xi Jinping wearing dark suits and shaking hands in front of US and Chinese flagsAustralia struggling with oversupply of solar powerTopic:Energy Industry'It was a mistake': UK residents regret shared home ownership as Australian scheme back in parliamentTopic:Housing PolicyAlbanese unlikely to detail emissions target before next electionTopic:Environmental PolicyAfter Jake Paul mocked Mike Tyson, he uttered four words that nobody wanted to hearSAnalysis by Simon SmaleJust InInvestigations underway into plane crash that killed 20yo pilot, two teenagers in VictoriaTopic:Air and Space Accidents and Incidents29m ago29 minutes agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 5:49amAirbnb's plan to host 'gladiator' battles at Rome's Colosseum causes outrageTopic:Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)49m ago49 minutes agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 5:29amFemale pedestrian dies after being hit by ute in Jerrabomberra Topic:Road Accidents and Incidents1h ago1 hours agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 5:05amWhat is Bluesky, the fast-growing platform welcoming former X users?Topic:Internet Culture1h ago1 hours agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 4:57amMore Just InBack to topFooterABC News homepageMore From ABC NEWSWe acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.SectionsABC NEWSJust InWatch LivePoliticsWorldBusinessAnalysisSportScienceHealthEntertainmentLifestyleFact CheckOtherNews in language中文Berita Bahasa IndonesiaTok PisinConnect with ABC NewsFacebookInstagramYouTubeApple NewsX (formerly Twitter)More from ABC NewsContact ABC NEWSThis service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)Editorial PoliciesAccessibilityHelpContact UsAbout the ABCPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use© 2024 ABC