Japanese family who kept mummified remains of their daughter in North Yorkshire cottage have case against them dropped

The body of Rina Yasutake, 49, a talented artist who was privately educated and thought to have attended Cambridge University, were found lying on a mattress where she had been for six weeks.

A major police operation was launched in the market town of Helmsley, North Yorkshire, with police in forensic suits sifting through their property for days in September 2018.

Local people described the family as "reclusive" and many were not even aware that Rina lived at the address as she was never seen in the town.

But at York Crown Court on Tuesday a criminal case against Rina's sister Yoshika Yasutake, 55, her brother Takahiro Yasutake, 49, and their elderly mother Michiko Yasutake, 78. was brought to an end.

They had faced trial accused of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body without lawful excuse.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, ruled that charges should lie on file.

He said: "These three defendants suffer from an extremely rare mental affliction which has created a unique situation for the criminal courts."

The Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence and Jonathan Sandiford, QC, said it was not in the public interest to pursue the matter to trial.

Ms Yasutake was in a state of advanced decomposition in bed when her body was found by police, who had been alerted by pharmacy staff because her brother and sister had been buying "excessive" amounts of surgical spirit, it is alleged..

The facts of the case were outlined at a previous hearing before Scarborough Magistrates court in 2019.

Prosecutor Sarah Tyrer said: "On the 25th of September 2018 the police were notified by a member of staff in the pharmacy at Helmsley Surgery Medical Centre that she had grave concerns about excessive quantities of surgical spirit a Japanese couple had been buying.

"Reference had been made that they were using it for cleansing an individual called Rina Yasutake at 41 Bondgate in Helmsley.

"The pharmacist noticed - and I quote - that they 'smelled of dead bodies.'

"Later that same day the police attended the address and in one of the bedrooms at the premises they found the deceased lying on a mattress in an advanced state of decomposition to the point of apparent mummification.

"It is believed that Rina had been dead for approximately six weeks.

"Those are the very bare facts of the case, it is an indictable-only matter and should therefore be sent to York Crown Court for trial."

At York Crown Court, Mr Sandiford said the sentence following a trial would have been limited to a supervision order or an absolute discharge.

He said social services had made a detailed assessment on the Yasutakes, adding: "The position is that at the moment the family do not have any particular needs that require supervision, no more than a weather eye to be kept.

"If this matter were pursued to trial the court's powers would be limited. It is not in the public interest to take this matter to trial.

"Having discussed this matter on previous occasions the way in which the Crown proposes to proceed is for the matters to be left on file on the understanding the three defendants will accept any welfare checks or visits by social services or the police in Helmsley.

Craig Hassall, QC, for the Yasutakes, said: "All three defendnats consent to that order.

Judge Morris added: "It is accepted by the crown that if this went to trial the prosecution would not stand in the way of a jury bringing a not guilty verdict by reason of insanity.

"The criminal courts would be put to vast expense and time in these troubled times when really it would be to no end.

"In the highly unusual circumstances of this case I am asked to allow the case to lie on file, ordinarily this would not happen.

"But unique cases and unique circumstances require unique disposal."

Tributes were paid to Ms Yasutake following the discovery of her body three years ago.

Former classmate Sarah Matthews said she attended the independent Queen Mary’s School on the Duncombe Park estate near Helmsley with Rina from September 1980 to July 1986.

She said: “I shared a dormitory for two years with Rina and another pupil. Rina was a very hard-working teenager with a bright academic future, she was an amazing artist and a lovely girl.

“She was quiet and studious, but she did have a good sense of humour. She participated in all aspects of school life. I am so shocked and saddened by her death.”

Ms Matthews said that Rina was highly academic at school and won a scholarship in 1986 to sixth form at Wycombe Abbey School in Buckinghamshire in the subjects of history, English, Latin and Greek.

Rina and her family lived in Nunnington, North Yorkshire, with her mother's British former husband before moving to Helmsley in 1998.