US Marines in Okinawa Face Rape Allegations

• The United States has 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan.
• A US Marine is “under investigation” for allegedly harming another woman.
• Official denounces crimes committed by US troops as “unacceptable”.

TOKYO: Police have announced that two US Marines based in Okinawa, Japan, are being investigated for allegations of rape, marking the latest incident in a series of assaults that have incited public anger.

Currently, approximately 54,000 US military personnel are stationed in Japan, with most located on Okinawa, a subtropical island east of Taiwan.

A local police spokesperson revealed to AFP that “a US Marine in his 20s is suspected of raping a Japanese woman at an American military base in March and is also believed to have injured another woman.”

The second Marine, also in his 20s, is being investigated for the alleged rape of a Japanese woman at a US base in January.

The police have now forwarded both cases to the prosecutors for further action.

US Ambassador George Glass stated that Washington is committed to working “fully” with Japanese authorities as they investigate these incidents. “We greatly value the bonds of trust and friendship established over many years with our Japanese partners, and I pledge to take all possible steps to prevent actions that might harm these relationships,” he said in a statement.

As part of efforts to improve safety, US service members joined local officials and residents in Okinawa for a special nighttime patrol along a bar-lined downtown street. This joint patrol, the first of its kind since 1973, comes in light of previous sexual assault cases involving American servicemen.

In June of last year, a 21-year-old Marine faced charges of rape, following an investigation that also involved a 25-year-old US soldier charged with the assault of a girl under the age of 16 a few months prior.

Okinawa’s governor Denny Tamaki labeled the current allegations as “deplorable” and indicated that authorities would press the US military to take measures to prevent future incidents, according to Japanese media.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief government spokesperson, avoided commenting on the specific cases during a recent briefing but emphasized that crimes committed by US troops are “unacceptable.”

The alleged rape from March reportedly occurred in a restroom, and the woman who was injured was attempting to intervene to stop the assault on the other woman, as per police sources cited by Japanese media.

The relationship between Okinawa’s residents and the US military presence has been strained for years.

Last year, Okinawa law enforcement reported a total of 80 individuals associated with the US military facing charges for various offenses.

A highly publicized incident in 1995, involving the gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers in Okinawa, resulted in significant outrage and renewed calls to reassess the 1960 agreement that allows American troops to be stationed in Japan.