Sexual Assaults by US Soldiers in Okinawa

It was recently revealed that a soldier of United States Force in Okinawa had been arrested and indicted with charge of alleged sexual assault and kidnapping for obscene purpose on a girl younger than 16 years old. The police and the public prosecutors office have not reported those incidents to the prefectural government of Okinawa. Strong anger against US Force and the government of Japan spread out across Okinawa.

According to the indictment, a Marine Corporal in the age of 25 on December 24, 2023, seduced a girl at a park in the central region of the Okinawa Island, brought her to his room with car and made sexual assault without consent, knowing that she was under the age of 16. Sexual intercourse or obscene conduct on a child under 16 consists of a crime. The corporal and the girl did not know each other before they met at the park.

 

A person who was close to the girl reported the crime to the police and the police identified the corporal with the video recorded by security cameras set on the streets and inquired to the US Force. Okinawa Prefectural Police sent the document about the corporal to the public prosecutors office in March 11, 2024, and US Force handed him over the police on March 27, the day when the prosecutors office indicted the corporal.

 

One arguing point here is whether the corporal should be handed to Japan before he is indicted. “The custody of an accused member of the United States armed forces or the civilian component over whom Japan is to exercise jurisdiction shall, if he is in the hands of the United States, remain with the United States until he is charged by Japan,” says Status of Force Agreement between US and Japan.

 

US government agreed with Japan, however, to “give sympathetic consideration to any request for the transfer of custody prior to indictment” soon after US personnel’s rape on 12-year old girl in Okinawa caused a major protest against US Force in Okinawa in 1995. However, Japanese police did not request US Force to hand over the corporal, because the investigation had been well done.

 

The government of Okinawa did not know the incident until it was reported by local broadcaster in June 25, while Ministry for Foreign Affairs had known it on March 27. Although the Vice-minister for Foreign Affairs made a protest against US Ambassador to Japan, but the ministry did not let Okinawa government know it. “The national government could let us know about it for the people to pay attention to the crime,” said Governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki.

 

The government of Japan exercised its power to resume construction of a new base in Henoko, Okinawa, against the protest of Governor Tamaki last December. In the election of Okinawa Local Assembly in June, the parties supporting Tamaki were defeated. The incident of sexual assault might have influenced those events. The national government could be doubted that they did not like to disclose the incident, which might have negative impact on national policy.

 

Making matters worse, there appeared another incident, in which a member of US Marine attempted sexual assault and injured a woman in May. The police and the public prosecutors did not make it public, even after the indictment. Tamaki asked the local police office to report the incident made by US military member not to make the people in Okinawa skeptical about public safety.

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