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A JAPANESE COURT has ruled that a 19-year-old American will face trial over the murder of DCU student Nicola Furlong as an adult – meaning he may face life imprisonment if convicted.
The American, a musician who has not been named, is charged with strangling 21-year-old Furlong in a hotel in Tokyo two months ago.
The suspect has not been named, as ordinarily people under the age of 21 are considered to be minors under Japanese law.
If he had been tried as a juvenile, he may only have faced a maximum jail term of five years.
The Wexford woman, an international business student in DCU, was studying at the Takasaki City University of Economics, for the third year of her degree.
She and a friend had travelled to central Tokyo to attend a concert by US rapper Nicki Minaj.
The pair missed their train home, and later met two Americans in the busy Shinjuku train station, with whom they travelled back to the Keio Plaza Hotel, where Furlong was found dead the following morning.
BBC News said the judges had reached their decision after considering victim impact statements from Furlong’s family, who travelled to Japan for the preliminary hearings, and police reports.
It is not known when the trial will begin, though RTÉ quoted a source within the Tokyo public prosecutor’s office who said it would probably be several months.
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The competition is open to any startup less than 3 years in operation with up to 1 million in funding already received . ( as if €25 000. , is going to make that much of a difference to them , compared to a new start up starved of funding and cash to get going …)
Under €1million in funding. U could have received nothing and still win it. Quit spamming the article and talking bollocks
Previous winners have secured millions in funding . Then perhaps this prize should go to individuals or companies trying to get started with a good idea . the money and pr would mean so much more ….
That not what it is and they secured their funding like all VC after developing their idea
They secured millions AFTER winning the prize.
It points out that (a) the competition chooses companies that indeed have lots of potential and (b) winning the prize is good publicity and is a great recommendation for potential investors.
Try using your brain before criticising
have your say