A U.S. Marine in his 20s stationed in Okinawa Prefecture has been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of sexually assaulting and injuring a woman in her 20s. This incident follows two other alleged sexual assaults involving U.S. servicemen that came to light in June, highlighting the ongoing issue of crimes committed by American military personnel stationed in Japan.
The latest assault took place in the northern part of Okinawa’s main island and was reported to the police by a medical institution that the victim visited shortly after the incident occurred. The suspect, who is currently under U.S. military custody, has been voluntarily questioned by local police. Investigators have relied on his social media posts and security camera footage from around the crime scene to build their case, although he denies any wrongdoing.
Expressing regret over this recent incident, the military base affairs division of the Okinawan government plans to urge the U.S. military to take measures aimed at preventing such incidents from happening again.
The previous two cases involving U.S. servicemen had caused public outrage when it was revealed that they were not reported promptly to local authorities or disclosed publicly at that time due to concerns about victim privacy. These cases only came into public knowledge through local media reports.
In March, a member of the U.S. Air Force was indicted for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor, while another Marine was arrested in May on suspicion of attempted rape resulting in injury.
These incidents have prompted Japanese officials to review their protocols for sharing information on crimes involving American military personnel with local governments, aiming for better cooperation and transparency moving forward.