Japan protests sex assault cases involving US military on Okinawa and their delayed disclosure

TOKYO -- Japan’s authorities protested Friday to the U.S. Embassy successful Tokyo implicit astatine slightest 2 intersexual battle cases involving American servicemembers connected the confederate Japanese land of Okinawa which were lone precocious made public.

In 1 case, an Air Force subordinate is accused of assaulting a 16-year-old miss successful December, portion the other, which dates from May, involves a Marine who is accused of assaulting a 21-year-old woman.

The lawsuit involving the battle of the teen is simply a reminder to galore Okinawans of the high-profile 1995 rape of a 12-year-old miss by 3 U.S. servicemembers, which sparked monolithic protests against the dense U.S. unit beingness connected Okinawa. It led to a 1996 statement betwixt Tokyo and Washington connected a closure of a cardinal U.S. aerial station, though the plan has been delayed owed to protests astatine the tract designated for its relocation connected different portion of the island.

Some 50,000 U.S. troops are deployed successful Japan nether a bilateral information pact, astir fractional of them connected Okinawa, whose strategical relation is seen progressively important for the Japan-U.S. subject confederation successful the look of increasing tensions with China. Japan's southwestern displacement of its ain subject besides focuses heavy connected Okinawa and its adjacent islands.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Friday it was “extremely regrettable” the 2 alleged intersexual assaults occurred wrong months. Japan “takes it seriously” and Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano conveyed regrets to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, requesting disciplinary and preventive measures, Hayashi said.

“I judge that the U.S. broadside besides takes this substance seriously,” Hayashi said. “Criminal cases and accidents by U.S. subject unit origin large anxiousness to section residents, and they should ne'er hap successful the archetypal place.”

The U.S. Embassy successful Tokyo declined to corroborate details of the gathering betwixt Emanuel and Okano and however the ambassador responded, citing diplomatic rules.

Hayashi said Japanese prosecutors successful Naha, the superior of Okinawa, had pressed charges of nonconsensual enactment and battle charges against the Marine connected June 17, which were lone announced connected Friday. Both suspects were handled by the Japanese authorities.

The Naha District Prosecutors' Office refused to corroborate indictments successful the 2 cases implicit the telephone with anyone who is not a section property nine member. Okinawa prefectural constabulary said the 2 cases were ne'er made nationalist retired of information for the privateness of the victims.

Okinawa residents and the island's governor, Denny Tamaki, person agelong complained astir accidents and transgression related to U.S subject bases, expressed choler implicit the alleged transgression and deficiency of disclosure.

Tamaki, who opposes the dense U.S. unit beingness connected Okinawa, said helium was “speechless and outraged." He stressed the request to “reconstruct” the connection strategy successful lawsuit of transgression and accidents involving American work members.

”I'm profoundly acrophobic astir the severity of this allegation and I regret the anxiousness this has caused," Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, Commander of the 18th Wing astatine Kadena Air Base connected Okinawa, who visited the Okinawa prefectural authorities with respective U.S. officials, said connected Thursday, though helium did not apologize.

He promised the US subject volition afloat cooperate with the probe by the section authorities and the courts.

Okinawa Vice Gov. Takekuni Ikeda told Evans and different officials that the alleged assaults were superior quality rights violations against women. “We find them perfectly unforgivable, and we are outraged," helium said.

Ikeda besides protested the delayed notification of the transgression cases, saying they caused anxiousness for residents adjacent the U.S. bases. He said the prefecture was lone notified this week astir the December case, erstwhile the fishy was indicted successful March, and lone aft inquiries by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.