Two U.S. Airmen Face Charges for Separate Sexual Assaults in Japan

Post by : Elena Malik

Photo : Reuters

Japanese authorities have filed charges against two U.S. Air Force personnel stationed on Okinawa, alleging separate incidents of sexual assault, including one involving a 16-year-old minor, occurring five months apart.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced on Friday that an unidentified man is set to stand trial for a May incident on the island, facing charges of non-consensual sexual intercourse and causing bodily injuries at the Naha District Court. The Air Force’s 18th Wing, overseeing Kadena base, has not yet commented.

In a separate case, another U.S. air force member is accused of kidnapping and engaging in non-consensual sexual intercourse with a girl under 16, according to Okinawa’s vice governor, Takekuni Ikeda, who strongly condemned the acts as grave violations of human rights.

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The incidents have sparked outrage among local officials and residents. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki expressed his anger, while Masataka Okano, Japan’s vice-minister for foreign affairs, conveyed regret to U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, who assured cooperation with local authorities.

The presence of U.S. military bases on Okinawa, a legacy of World War II, remains contentious in Japan, despite their strategic importance in regional security, particularly concerning tensions in the South China Sea.

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