Brazilian F1 superfan’s death in Japan stirs nationalistic debate on foreign crime
Influencer Amanda Borges da Silva had posted about how much she loved Japan and told her mother that she felt safe in the country
A Brazilian influencer and Formula One fan who declared her love for Japan and told her mother she felt completely safe in the country was found dead in suspicious circumstances – just hours before she was due to fly home.
Amanda Borges da Silva, 30, died from smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in a rented flat in Narita, near Tokyo’s main international airport, on May 1.
Her death has triggered a criminal investigation and the arrest of an unemployed Sri Lankan man who allegedly fled the scene – as well as a wave of nationalist backlash online over foreign crime in Japan.
Abaseliya Udayanga, 31, was taken into custody three days later on suspicion of setting fire to an occupied building. Japanese media reported that he left the flat without attempting to extinguish the blaze.
A number of personal items were also missing, local media have quoted police as saying, including a mobile phone, jewellery and electronic devices. Reports in Brazilian media have suggested that da Silva had been drugged and that police in Japan are investigating whether her death was deliberate.
The incident has made headlines around the world – in part because da Silva was a well-known Formula One “superfan” who also had close to 13,000 followers on Instagram – but triggered angry reactions on social media about foreigners committing crimes that tarnish Japan’s reputation for safety.