Donna Nelson’s young granddaughter allowed Japanese prison visit

Donna Nelson’s three year old granddaughter has been granted permission to visit the 58 year old inside the Japanese prison she has been held in for 18 months.

But the child had to be chaperoned by lawyers after her parents, Nelson’s daughter and son in law, were denied visitation rights.

It’s an example of Japan’s harsh justice system and comes on the day Nelson’s drug smuggling trial was scheduled to begin.

WAToday revealed on Tuesday the trial was unexpectedly delayed by up to six months.

The girl was the first family member allowed to visit the Indigenous community leader and former Greens candidate since her arrest 18 months ago. It’s understood the child remained behind secure glass during the visit which was described by family members as ‘bittersweet’.

Nelson’s daughter Kristal Hilare had already boarded flights to Tokyo via Cairns with her husband and daughter when they were informed of the trial delay. A communication ban remains in place, with Nelson prohibited from speaking with family friends and other prisoners. To date her only visitors have been lawyers, embassy staff and a pastor.

Nelson’s family has said she was groomed for two years by a Nigerian love scammer, and was either forced or tricked into carrying a bag filled with drugs by the man she had fallen for, known only as “Kelly”.

Nelson first travelled to Japan to meet Kelly after the pair met through an online dating site called AfroIntroductions.

He claimed to be the owner of a couture brand and eventually allegedly convinced Nelson to visit him, buying business-class tickets to fly her to Tokyo via Singapore, Laos and Vietnam.

Her family believes it was during her three-day stop in Laos that Nelson met with an associate of “Kelly” and came to be in possession of the bag that Japanese authorities later uncovered at the airport.