Japanese authorities investigate US marine over assault, rape allegations
A United States Marine stationed in Japan's Okinawa prefecture has been charged with the rape of a Japanese civilian woman and the assault of another woman who tried to intervene, according to officials familiar with the investigation.
The incident allegedly took place in March in a restroom located within a US military base in Okinawa. Japanese police, in coordination with US military authorities, launched an investigation shortly afterward.
The suspect, a man in his 20s whose identity has not been disclosed, remains under American jurisdiction by the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which governs the legal handling of US personnel in Japan.
According to sources cited by local media, the second woman involved sustained injuries while attempting to rescue the victim from the assault. The case was formally referred to prosecutors by Okinawa police on April 7.
This case marks the third alleged sexual assault involving US military personnel in Okinawa since June 2024, further inflaming longstanding tensions between the local population and the American military presence on the island.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, a long-time critic of the US military footprint in the region, condemned the alleged assault as 'very deplorable' and reiterated calls for stricter safeguards.
'We strongly urge the US military to implement concrete and effective measures to prevent such incidents from happening again,' said Tamaki during a press briefing.
The US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, also released a statement expressing deep concern.
'We deeply value the bonds we've built with our Japanese partners and host communities. These incidents jeopardise the trust we've cultivated over many decades,' Glass stated.
Public frustration in Okinawa continues to rise. Despite agreements between the US and Japanese governments to reduce the military presence and relocate certain bases, implementation has faced repeated political and legal obstacles.
In 2012, Tokyo and Washington agreed to relocate 9,000 Marines from Okinawa and move key facilities to less populated areas or other locations such as Guam. Yet, over a decade later, only a fraction of that plan has been realised.
This week, in a rare show of joint coordination, Japanese police and US military personnel conducted joint patrols in Okinawa City's entertainment districts, an effort to deter future crimes and reassure residents. The patrols were the first of their kind since 1974.
Okinawa hosts more than half of the 47,000 US troops stationed in Japan and nearly two-thirds of all American military installations in the country. Tensions over the US presence date back decades and have periodically erupted in protest following major incidents, most notably the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US servicemen—a crime that triggered national outrage and demands for change.
In 2024 alone, 80 individuals connected to the US military were charged with crimes in Okinawa. With this latest case, three servicemen have now been formally accused of sexual violence on the island in less than a year.
While the suspect in the March assault remains under US control, Japanese prosecutors will ultimately decide whether to pursue formal charges under Japanese law. If indicted, a request could be made for custody transfer in line with SOFA provisions, though such outcomes are rare and often politically sensitive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Why are farm goods holding up the India-US trade deal?
MUMBAI: U.S. and India trade negotiators were pushing on Wednesday to finalise a tariff-reducing deal ahead of President Donald Trump's July 9 negotiating deadline, but disagreements over U.S. dairy and agriculture remained unresolved. Why are farm goods imports sensitive in India? Agriculture and its allied areas contribute just 16% to India's $3.9 trillion economy, but sustain nearly half of the country's 1.4 billion population. As farmers remain the most powerful voting bloc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government was forced into a rare retreat four years ago when it tried to push through controversial farm laws. The prospect of cheaper imports from the United States threatens to drive down local prices, handing the opposition a fresh opportunity to attack the government. New Delhi has traditionally kept agriculture out of Free Trade Agreements with other nations. Granting market access to the U.S. could force India to extend similar concessions to other trading partners. Indian rupee supported by hopes of India-US trade deal, weak US jobs data How do Indian and US farms compare? The average Indian farm comprises just 1.08 hectares, compared to 187 hectares in the United States. In dairy, the average herd size in India is two to three animals per farmer, compared to hundreds in the United States. This difference makes it difficult for small Indian farmers to compete with their U.S. counterparts. Farming in India remains largely unmechanized because small, fragmented land holdings leave little room for large machinery. In many regions, farmers rely on techniques passed down through generations, a sharp contrast to U.S. farms, where cutting-edge equipment and AI-driven technologies have raised productivity. Which products is US lobbying for? Why is India resisting? The United States is pressing India to open its markets to a wide range of American products, including dairy, poultry, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, ethanol, citrus fruits, almonds, pecans, apples, grapes, canned peaches, chocolates, cookies, and frozen French fries. While India is willing to grant greater access to U.S. dry fruits and apples, it is holding back on allowing imports of corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy products. India does not allow genetically modified (GM) food crops, while most U.S. corn and soybean production is GM-based. Dairy remains a sensitive issue in India, where cultural and dietary preferences strongly influence food choices. Indian consumers are particularly concerned that cattle in the U.S. are often fed with animal by-products, a practice that conflicts with Indian food habits. US, India push for trade pact after Trump strikes deal with Vietnam, sources say Why does India oppose us ethanol for blending with gasoline? A key aim of India's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) program is to cut dependence on energy imports by blending domestically-produced ethanol with gasoline. Significant investments by domestic companies mean that India is now close to achieving its ambitious target of blending 20% ethanol. Importing ethanol would undermine those companies. The EBP also helps manage surpluses of rice, sugarcane, and corn by diverting them to ethanol production. Allowing imports of U.S. ethanol would be a serious setback for India's emerging distillery sector.
Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump close to victory on flagship tax bill
WASHINGTON: US lawmakers teed up a final vote on Donald Trump's marquee tax and spending bill for Thursday morning after bruising Republican infighting nearly derailed the centerpiece of the president's domestic agenda. Almost 24 hours after debate began, Trump appeared close to victory as Congress edged towards passing his 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' despite misgivings in his party over a text that would balloon the national debt while launching a historic assault on the social safety net. The bill would be a major landmark in Trump's political life, sealing his vision of US domestic policy into law – and coming after he scored recent wins including in the Supreme Court and with US strikes that led to a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Speaker Mike Johnson struggled through the night to corral his rank-and-file Republican members after the package scraped through a series of 'test' votes in the House of Representatives that laid bare deep divisions in the party. It was on course for a final vote that would put it on Trump's desk to be signed into law after passing its last procedural hurdle in the early hours of Thursday. 'We feel very good about where we are and we're moving forward,' an upbeat Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. 'So we're going to deliver the Big, Beautiful Bill – the president's 'America First' agenda – and we're going to do right by the American people.' Funds for mass deportation The timetable could slip however as Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries continued a long speech opposing the bill that delayed proceedings by several hours. Trump tax-cut plan returns to US House, Republicans divided on bill Originally approved by the House in May, Trump's sprawling legislation squeezed through the Senate on Tuesday but had to return to the lower chamber for a rubber stamp of the senators' revisions. The package honors many of Trump's campaign promises, boosting military spending, funding a mass migrant deportation drive and committing $4.5 trillion to extend his first-term tax relief. But it is expected to pile an extra $3.4 trillion over a decade onto the country's fast-growing deficits, while shrinking the federal food stamps program and forcing through the largest cuts to the Medicaid health insurance scheme for low-income Americans since its 1960s launch. While Republican moderates in the House are anxious that the cuts will damage their prospects of reelection, fiscal hawks chafed over savings that they say fall far short of what was promised. Johnson has to negotiate tight margins, and can likely only lose three lawmakers in the final vote, among more than two dozen who had declared themselves open to rejecting Trump's bill. 'Abomination' The 869-page text only passed in the Senate after a flurry of tweaks that pulled the House-passed version further to the right. It offsets its tax relief with around $1 trillion in health care cuts, and some estimates put the total number of recipients set to lose their insurance coverage under the bill at 17 million. Scores of rural hospitals are expected to close. Johnson had been clear that he was banking on Trump leaning on waverers, as the president has in the past to turn around contentious House votes that were headed for failure. The Republican leader has spent weeks hitting the phones and hosting White House meetings to cajole lawmakers torn between angering welfare recipients at home and incurring his wrath. 'FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!' Trump, 79, thundered in one of multiple posts to his Truth Social platform as Wednesday's marathon voting session spilled into Thursday. The bill would underline Trump's total dominance of the Republican Party in his second term, and comes as he relishes a major Supreme Court victory last week that curbed lone judges from blocking his radical policies. But House Democrats have signaled that they plan to campaign on the bill to flip the chamber in the 2026 midterm elections, pointing to data showing that it represents a historic redistribution of wealth from the poorest Americans to the richest. Jeffries held the floor for his Democrats for more than four hours ahead of the final vote, as he told the stories of everyday Americans whom he argued would be harmed by Trump's legislation. 'This bill, this one big, ugly bill – this reckless Republican budget, this disgusting abomination – is not about improving the quality of life of the American people,' he said.
Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Asuka Kirara defends Ju Haknyeon after prostitution case dismissal
Asuka Kirara, a former Japanese adult film actress, has reiterated her defense of former The Boyz member Ju Haknyeon, who was recently cleared of prostitution allegations. During a livestream on Tuesday, she addressed growing speculation about her alleged involvement in a private gathering that contributed to Ju's sudden exit from the K-pop group. Kirara explained she was simply attending a male friend's birthday party and had no prior knowledge Ju would be there. 'There were designers and other people. No one invited me because of him,' she said, dismissing rumors that she was used to elevate someone's public image. Although Ju had mentioned being a fan, Kirara denied any personal involvement, stating they had no physical or romantic connection. 'That was my first time meeting him. There was no three-day relationship,' she said, criticizing Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun for spreading false claims. 'So much misinformation is being circulated.' She questioned the motives behind Ju's expulsion from the group, saying, 'I don't understand how this led to his expulsion. It seems like someone wanted him gone or was hiding something else.' She added that despite Ju being 'handsome,' she 'never touched him, never hugged him,' and emphasized there was no physical relationship. Earlier, she posted on social media, 'I have never privately received money for sex, not once in my life — and that includes this time.' On Wednesday, police in Seoul's Gangnam District officially dismissed the prostitution charge against Ju, citing insufficient grounds for investigation. The case began June 18 when Shukan Bunshun reported Ju met Kirara at a Tokyo bar. Ju maintains his innocence and has announced plans to take legal action against the journalist, media outlet, and the individual who filed the complaint, citing defamation and false reporting.
