December 4th 2024.
Donna Nelson, a 58-year-old grandmother, had never imagined that her journey to Japan would lead her to prison. It all started when her husband left her while she was pregnant with her fifth daughter. Feeling lonely and wanting a respectable man in her life, she turned to social media and met a fashion designer named Kelly. They hit it off and for two years, they communicated from afar and even had video calls. Donna felt like she had finally found someone who treated her like a queen, especially since Kelly had even treated her to a business class flight.
Donna's journey to Japan began in Perth, Australia, where she chaired an Aboriginal-run health service. She then flew to Singapore and finally, to Japan. However, before reaching her destination, she had a stopover in Laos. Kelly had asked her to pick up a suitcase from there, which he intended to sell in his Japanese shop. Initially, Donna was hesitant about this plan, but somewhere along the way, she changed her mind. She moved her belongings into the suitcase, alongside clothing samples that were already in there, and boarded the flight to Japan.
Little did she know, hidden inside a sophisticated pocket of the suitcase was 2kg of methamphetamine, worth an estimated £800,000 in Japan. Donna had no idea about the drugs and when she arrived at Narita Airport, she didn't declare the bag as belonging to someone else. When questioned, she claimed that she was visiting Japan for business purposes, not for love.
During her drug trafficking trial, Donna maintained her innocence, stating that she had no idea about the drugs and that she trusted Kelly completely. However, her responses to questioning made her seem untrustworthy, which her lawyer attributed to her poor English skills. The prosecutor questioned why she had to transport the suitcase if Kelly had an associate in Laos who could have delivered it instead. Donna's family also raised concerns about the prison conditions she had been kept in, as she had spent 23 hours a day in her cell without any contact with her family.
After a long trial, Donna was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison, minus the 430 days she had already spent in prison. The judges expressed sympathy for the way she was taken advantage of in a similar manner to other love scams seen in Japan. However, they concluded that she played a peripheral but essential role in the drug trafficking. Donna plans to appeal the decision to a higher court, a process that could take up to a year.
Speaking outside the court, Donna's lawyer expressed their disappointment with the decision and their determination to fight for her freedom. Donna's family also maintained that she was the victim of a romance scam and not a criminal. They stated that she had always been against drugs and had been duped by Kelly, who had asked her to carry the suitcase without her knowledge of the drugs inside.
For nearly two years, Donna has been isolated from her family, only able to communicate with them through her lawyers. Her family is devastated by the court's verdict and maintains that she is not a criminal, but a victim of a crime. In Japan, where criminal trials take place before a panel of three judges and six civilians, the conviction rate is 99%.
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