US soldier from Kadena invades Yomitan home and threatens homeowner’s daughters

 

September 20, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On September 7 around 10:30 p.m. in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, a U.S. soldier committed a home invasion.

It came to light on September 19 that at the time of invasion, only the daughters of the man who owns the house were home, a second-year high schooler and a 5-month old child.

The soldier who came in threatened the young woman, who was holding her little sister, that he would kill her.

She escaped out the window with her sister and took refuge in a neighbor’s house.

On September 19 Yomitan villagers and Yomitan Village Assembly made a protest to the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB).

 

Kadena police arrested the suspect, a 23-year-old army private first class soldier stationed at Kadena Air Base.

Just before the incident he had been drinking with a few people at his acquaintance’s house before he stepped outside, alone. Drunk and shirtless, the soldier struck the victim’s outside wall and car, and entered the victim’s unlocked home.

Although the elder daughter was able to escape to a neighbor’s house, she did not stop trembling.

Neither daughter was injured in the incident.

According to the Yomitan Village Office, after the incident the elder daughter was unable to attend her classes and she continued to tremble for some time. Now she seems calmer.

On September 19 at an extraordinary session of the Yomitan Village Assembly, assembly members unanimously adopted a written statement and protest resolution objecting to the home invasion incident.

The resolution states, “We absolutely cannot permit acts of barbarity to threaten the tranquil and peaceful lives of the villagers.”

It goes on to request that the vicitims be completely compensated, and that the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement be drastically revised.

On the same day, an Assembly representative and Mayor of Yomitan Village Denjitsu Ishimine paid a visit to Chief Koichiro Nakajima of the ODB to lodge a complaint. Nakajima said, “We, too, think this is regrettable.

As for compensation, naturally we will do what we can.”

Mayor Ishimine visited Commanding Officer Theodore White of the 10th Support Group (Regional) at Torii Station, and lodged an objection with him.

Colonel White apologized and explained that anything one part of a larger organization does affects the whole structure.

 

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

 

Go to Japan


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]