A U.S. Marine faces allegations of sexual assault in Okinawa, Japan, marking a troubling trend of similar incidents involving servicemen.
Okinawa: A U.S. Marine is in hot water after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman while stationed at Camp Foster. This is the fourth such case in just a year, which is pretty alarming.
The Marine, thought to be in his 30s, allegedly raped a woman over 20 years old in a building on the base back in November. The police are on it, and they’ve already sent the case to the Naha Public Prosecutors Office.
Right now, the Marine is being held in military custody, but it’s unclear if he’s admitted to anything. The III Marine Expeditionary Force is aware of the situation and is working with local authorities.
The victim reported the incident right away, which is good. Police reviewed security footage and questioned the Marine, but the exact spot where it happened is still a mystery.
First Lt. Isabel Izquierdo from the Marine Corps said that this kind of behavior doesn’t reflect the values of the military. Meanwhile, Okinawa’s Governor Denny Tamaki expressed serious concern and called for a strong response.
This incident comes on the heels of three other sexual assault cases last year that really strained U.S.-Japan relations. One serviceman was sentenced to five years for kidnapping and assaulting a teenager, while another faced charges for injuring a woman during an assault.
Okinawa has a significant U.S. military presence, with around 30,000 troops stationed there, even after the island was returned to Japan in 1972. It’s a complicated situation, and these incidents don’t help.
