Immediate Report on Crime of U.S. Military

Okinawa Prefectural Police sent document of a member of U.S. Marines in Okinawa, who were charged with crime of sexual intercourse without consent. The police meanwhile reported it to the government of Okinawa Prefecture, following the new policy for immediate report on crime of members of U.S. Force, which was introduced after such crime was revealed by news reports. Consecutive sexual crimes by U.S. military personnel exacerbate anti-U.S. sentiment in Okinawa.

A member of U.S. Marine made a sexual assault on a woman, knowing each other, in northern part of Okinawa, out of U.S. Force’s facility, in June. The woman was diagnosed in a medical institute and the staff of the institute reported to the police. Although the member returned to the U.S. Marine, according to Japan-U.S. Status of Force Agreement, the police continued investigation on him on voluntary basis. The police have not disclosed whether the man approved or disapproved the charge on him.

 

Sexual assaults by U.S. Force’s personnel have been repeated this year. A member of U.S. Air Force was indicted in March with charge of kidnapping for obscene purpose and sexual intercourse without consent. In May, a member of U.S. Marine was arrested with suspicion of injuring a woman, trying to make a sexual assault. It is reported that the Marine member’s assault in June has made the fourth case this year on sexual assault by U.S. military in Okinawa.

 

In the case in March and May, the local police and the prosecutors did not report to the prefectural government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not give any information to Okinawa. The government of Okinawa came to know about the incidents for the first time through the news reports.

 

Okinawan government and police or prosecutors’ office agreed on reporting as soon as at the point of arresting or indicting, from the perspective of prevent the same kind of crime. The government of Japan improved the rule to report any sexual crime to local government without exception. “Crime or accident by U.S. military, which renders great uneasiness to the people, should not be made. We will demand the U.S. side to prevent the same kind of cases, including exercising the preventive measures delivered in the past,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

 

 

It is discussed in Okinawa that some cases of sexual assault could be prevented, if the information had appropriately been reported and disclosed. There is a movement in Okinawa to hold a major rally beyond party line, protesting violence of U.S. personnel. Reminding of a history of Okinawa, a rape on little girl caused broad protesting against U.S. Force in 1995, which led the deal to move Futenma Air Base, U.S. Force needs to recognize the sentiment seriously.

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