US Marines get probed over claims of sex crimes at Japanese army base

(MENAFN)
Two U.S. Marines stationed on Japan’s Okinawa Island are being investigated for allegedly raping Japanese women, according to a report by Kyodo News on Thursday.

One Marine, reportedly in his 20s, is accused of raping a Japanese woman in a bathroom at a U.S. military base last month. He is also facing charges for injuring a second woman, a civilian worker who tried to intervene during the assault. A second Marine, also in his 20s, has been accused of raping a woman at another base earlier in January.

These incidents are the latest in a troubling pattern of sexual assault cases involving U.S. service members on the island, which hosts 70% of American military facilities in Japan despite accounting for only 1% of the country’s land area.

Okinawan police referred the cases to prosecutors earlier this month, and the investigation is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. military. The Marines involved have reportedly participated in voluntary interviews with Japanese authorities.

Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa, a long-time opponent of the U.S. military presence in the region, condemned the reported assaults, calling them “very deplorable,” and urged U.S. military leaders to implement stronger preventative measures.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass expressed serious concern over the allegations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the trust and friendship between the American military and local communities in Japan. He pledged to do everything possible to prevent future incidents.

The recent accusations add to a growing list of violent crimes involving U.S. military personnel in Okinawa. In December, a U.S. Air Force senior airman was sentenced to five years of hard labor for the sexual assault and abduction of a 15-year-old girl. Other cases last year included charges against Marines for attempted sexual assault and physical harm during alleged assaults.

These incidents, particularly the infamous 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three American servicemen, have fueled deep resentment toward the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.

Despite public outrage, U.S. and Japanese officials continue to defend the strategic importance of American forces in the region, citing regional threats such as China’s military expansion and North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.

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